Getting in trouble with the law can be extremely stressful, and criminal charges are some of the harshest ones that you can face. Millions of people are wrongly imprisoned and many suffered the consequences for something others have done. In this article, we are going to list some of the signs you need to hire a criminal defense attorney, and we’re going to let you know why you should do it and what can be done to get out of trouble as easily as possible.
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You have been randomly taken for questioning
If you have gotten yourself in a situation where the police have randomly come to your place of work or even in your home, and they asked you to come with them for questioning, without arresting you, you should know that it’s always best to have a legal advisor next to you than to risk getting yourself into a bad situation.
Keep in mind that the police have the right to lie and deceive you, and they can use any method they want to legally get information out of you and to even force you to admit something that you’re not guilty of. They know how to use the proper language and manipulating techniques to get random people to say things that they want to hear.
Know that in any case, especially if you don’t have enough information about why you have been taken for questioning, it is best if you talk to a criminal lawyer and have them with you instead of going through the process alone.
You are innocent
Source: lawyer-monthly.com
In some cases, you may be blamed for something that you haven’t done. You may match a description of a wanted criminal, or you may have been just in the wrong place at the wrong time. There may be accusations against you, and you may need to prove your innocence so that you can be released without further complications.
Know that it is always good to have a legal advisor next to you who is going to fight for your rights and who is going to stop things from escalating before you end up going to court or being charged for things that you have not done.
You don’t know your rights
Most of us don’t really know our rights. We read through a lot of articles online and we use Google as our main source of information. Even though some of the things you can read on the Internet may be fully correct, keep in mind that you need to take everything with a grain of salt.
The current laws and regulations are constantly changing and you may have read something that was correct about a year ago or even five years ago, but that does not mean that you know everything and that you are up to date with all the current laws.
As suggested by Aswani Datt, it is best to have your criminal defense attorney with you if you don’t know your rights and if you don’t know what you’re allowed or not allowed to do to prove your innocence or to fight your case in court.
The other party is lawyering up
Sometimes we want to get things done and resolved in the most civil way possible. We know that attorneys can sometimes cost a lot and we want to save up some money and try to get things done without including any legal advisors. In some cases, you may be able to do this, however, it is best to follow the case and see what is happening on the other side of it.
If you notice that the other party is lawyering up and if you notice that they’re trying to build a case against you, no matter if you’re innocent, and especially if you’re guilty, it is best to contact a legal representative as soon as you possibly can. Know that is better to stay safe than to be sorry and the sooner you talk to your advisor, the easier the case is going to be for you.
You’ve done a criminal offense
This should go without saying, but if you have done any type of criminal offense you need to talk to an attorney as soon as you possibly can. Even if there are still no charges against you, even if the police are not aware of what has happened, and even if you have not been taken for questioning, you should talk to a lawyer right away.
Know that your legal advisor is going to protect your secrets and they are not allowed to disclose any information about your case. However, they’re going to be able to help you, no matter what you have done, and they’re going to advise you on what is the best choice you can make in order to either avoid prison or lower your sentence as much as possible.
There are charges against you
If there are any charges against you, and if you have gotten a letter that you need to appear in court, no matter if you have been taken for questioning before or you have been arrested or not, you need to talk to an attorney.
Source: halt.org
Even if you have no idea what the case is about, and even if you have done nothing wrong, you cannot appear in a police station or in front of the judge and say that you have done nothing wrong without having any proof or evidence for it. It can be really challenging and difficult to gather all the information and evidence on your own, and when you have a legal advisor next to you, they’re going to do it all for you and they’re going to make sure that things are straightened up before they escalate.
You have been arrested
Finally, if you have been arrested, no matter if there are charges against you or if you don’t know why you have been arrested, you should use your phone call to contact the criminal defense lawyer as promptly as possible.
This is true, as we mentioned before, in both cases. No matter if you’re guilty or innocent, you should not give up and you should not try to handle your case on your own, always look for reputable and experienced attorneys that have handled similar cases before.
Sometimes we can get in trouble with the law but that does not mean that we are going to be arrested and put in jail for the rest of our lives. With the right team and with the right firm, you will be able to prove your innocence or minimize the time you need to spend in prison.
