You’ve found yourself in a tough situation. For whatever reason, criminal charges are coming your way. You may think the best time to get yourself a criminal defense lawyer is before your trial, but this is not true. The right criminal defense lawyer should be there to help you at every step along the way, including before charges have even been laid. Here are just a few reasons you should hire a criminal lawyer in Greater Philadelphia before your charges have been filed.
1. Your Lawyer Can Talk to the Cops
Talking with law enforcement is tricky and many people don’t know the full extent of their rights. Many cops take advantage of people without a thorough understanding of the law, due process, and their rights. You don’t have to be one of these people if you have a lawyer with you before the charges have laid. With a lawyer present from the very beginning, you can speak to law enforcement with your rights at the forefront.
2. They Can Talk to the Prosecution
In many cases, the prosecution will file a number of charges based on the evidence provided by police with very little regard for how they will work out in court. The tactic is based on the idea that, if enough charges are laid, something will stick. This not only makes for a longer trial, but you could end up facing charges for which you are not even implicated. With a trained and professional criminal defense lawyer at your side before charges are laid, however, you can see the number of charges drop dramatically. This is because an attorney can represent you in pre-filing hearings to ensure the trial will focus on what matters.
3. You Can Understand What You’re Up Against
Many laws, charges, and filings are unfortunately written and described in a way that may not make sense to you. In fact, you might even be charged with a crime you did not even know existed. The right criminal defense lawyer will walk you through your charges in order to help you understand what you are facing. That way, you can build a defense around the information you know, rather than taking shots in the dark.
4. You Get Professional Research that Can Lessen Your Charges
Many people do not understand that a lawyer puts in more time going through paperwork and researching their cases than actually fighting them in the courts. This is because preparing the perfect defense takes hours and hours of research, reading, and negotiating. The longer you have a lawyer, the more time they will have to build your case, and that means you’re l have a better defense if you go to trial.
If you find yourself in a situation where you need a criminal lawyer, be sure to hire a professional criminal defense lawyer like Joe Mitchell before charges are laid. By doing so, you can protect yourself in more ways than one, get a better deal once those charges are laid, and have a lawyer help you at every step along the way.
