North Carolina Criminal Law Updates
A defense attorney is essential if you face criminal charges. It’s nearly impossible to defend yourself in court–regardless of your IQ and experience. If you find yourself in a jam, it is crucial to know your rights and how an attorney can help you.
No case is the same. Get a lawyer to look over your situation and help you when it comes time to go to court. Having a good lawyer can assure you don’t go to prison if you’re innocent, or that your punishment is kept to a minimum if you are guilty.
We’re going to go over the duties of a criminal defense attorney and show you how they can give you a winning edge in front of the judge.
Plea Bargains
A good defense lawyer can help you establish a plea bargain with the prosecutor if you’re guilty of the charges. If all the evidence is against you, sometimes the best thing you can do is settle or plead, in exchange for leniency.
Your attorney can sit with the prosecution and come to a reasonable plea bargain, often a reduced sentence or lower fine. It can even lower the number of charges against you, even drop some entirely. For example, 1st-degree murder can sometimes be reduced to manslaughter.
If you’re concerned you’ll be found guilty no matter what, a plea bargain can save you time, effort, heartache, money and sometimes even years of your life.
Help Your Sentencing
Managing your sentence differs slightly from a plea bargain, but it’s just as essential.
For example, if you’re convicted of a drug charge, your defense attorney can reduce your time in jail by managing your sentencing.
Let’s say you’re convicted and face eight months in jail. A reasonable attorney can sometimes arrange to have that sentence divided between four months in jail and four months in a rehab center.
In this scenario, you get less jail time and stand a chance at rehabilitation. How could you beat that outcome on your own?
Legal Expertise
Can you imagine trying to defend yourself in court? In reality, you’d have a hard time keeping up with the subtler nuances of the law. A good defense attorney can protect you because, well, they know the law better than you.
Lawyers train for years at law school and gain experience in real cases. They also have personal and professional relationships with the Judges, Prosecutors and Law Enforcement Officers. They understand what you need to consider before you walk in the courtroom.
You can have peace of mind knowing if push comes to shove, your lawyer will know how to protect you. He or she has countless resources and can find a way to ensure you’re not taken advantage of, regardless of charges against you.
Prosecutors have one goal in mind: winning. Defense attorneys have the same goal, but winning for them gets you off the hook. They can dig through countless regulations and laws and find ways to undercut the prosecution.
Gather Evidence
A defense attorney can help gather the evidence to prove your innocence in court. If you defend yourself, it can be nearly impossible to gather the evidence you need.
An attorney will work to gather witness statements and other evidence proving your alibi. An attorney can also find and utilize the right experts, which are often key to mounting an effective defense at trial.
Instead of putting yourself through the stress and headache, let a lawyer act on your behalf. Attorneys know the proper procedures and methods for getting evidence. They also know what’s going to work and what can get thrown out by the judge.
You shouldn’t worry about whether your evidence is going to be good enough for a courtroom. Let the professionals handle the job for you.
Avoid Hidden Costs and Penalties
Many people don’t find out until it’s too late, but court cases often rack up a huge bill. Whether it’s additional court costs or extra charges resulting in a longer penalty, both can devastate you.
A lawyer can pinpoint these hidden charges and penalties and help you avoid or prepare for them. For example, a good attorney will let you know what charges are against you, what the penalties are for those charges, and how much all of that is going to cost you.
When you have a clear idea of what will happen in court, it eases your mind. You get a picture of what could happen if things don’t go your way. If you don’t have this knowledge, you could be in for a shocking surprise–and not in a good way.
Hire a Flexible Defense Attorney
Flexibility is a defense attorney’s best trait. They can handle misdemeanors and felonies of varying degrees. You shouldn’t have to worry about whether your lawyer can handle your case. Get someone you can depend on.
You can get help from a defense lawyer if you face a DWI, hunting/trespassing penalty, drug charges, assaults, and much more.
Where Can You Find a Good Defense Lawyer?
Are you looking to hire a good attorney to get you out of a jam? If so, you’re not alone. Thousands of people scour the internet for legal help, and we can help every one of them.
It can be scary going into a trial head-on. The proper legal representation can make it manageable. Let me help you, and you won’t have to go it alone.
I am an experienced criminal defense lawyer who knows what it takes to win a case, even if it looks unwinnable. If you would like to talk to me more about your situation, don’t hesitate to contact me today!