Facing criminal charges and, worse, being arrested must be among the most stressful experiences any normal human being will ever suffer. Law enforcement agencies nevertheless arrest numerous ordinary people every year. These people face charges of tax evasion, driving under the influence or any of a large number of white collar crimes. The majority of those arrested are not accused of violent crimes. When hiring a criminal lawyer Hopewell VA residents will have professional representation in court.
Every citizens, even those that are accused of committing the most terrible crimes have certain rights that are protected by the constitution. One of these rights is to refuse to answer questions or make statements to the police without their attorneys present. Legal experts agree that it is important to insist on this right. It is all too common for accused to say something that will be harmful to their case at a later stage.
As soon as he is appointed, the attorney will make sure that the arrest was legal and that every rule has been followed in the process. If there are discrepancies he will often be able to have the charges against his client dropped. The attorney will also examine the facts that lead to the arrest and he will interview his client to get his side of the story.
Next, the attorney will make arrangements for the release of his client on bail. In most cases this is a relatively simple procedure. The court simply needs to be reassured that the accused will not flee, that he will not interfere in the case against him and that he will appear in court on the date he has to. Once the accused have paid the bail, he will be allowed to go free.
The attorney will brief his client on the importance of adhering to the conditions of bail. If he does not do so, he can be arrested again and the second time round it will be very difficult to arrange for bail. The accused will also lose the money he posted as bail and he will face additional criminal charges. Some attorneys will even refuse to continue with a case if their clients breach the bail conditions.
The biggest mistake that many accused makes is to be dishonest with their attorneys. They are scared to admit to incriminating facts and they either lie or they omit the facts. This can have serious consequences because without all the facts the attorney cannot present a proper defence. Being caught out in a lie in court can have a seriously negative effect.
In a large number of cases an experienced attorney can save his client a small fortune and lots of time by negotiating a plea bargain. The system allows for accused to plead guilty on a specific charge and to accept the sentence that was negotiated between the attorney and the prosecutor. This is common practice where there is little doubt that the accused is guilty of an offence.
The legal fees in a criminal case can be prohibitive. However, no accused should ever even consider the possibility of representing himself. The legal system is extremely complex and there are numerous pitfalls that can prove to be damaging, detrimental even, to a person defending himself.
Every citizens, even those that are accused of committing the most terrible crimes have certain rights that are protected by the constitution. One of these rights is to refuse to answer questions or make statements to the police without their attorneys present. Legal experts agree that it is important to insist on this right. It is all too common for accused to say something that will be harmful to their case at a later stage.
As soon as he is appointed, the attorney will make sure that the arrest was legal and that every rule has been followed in the process. If there are discrepancies he will often be able to have the charges against his client dropped. The attorney will also examine the facts that lead to the arrest and he will interview his client to get his side of the story.
Next, the attorney will make arrangements for the release of his client on bail. In most cases this is a relatively simple procedure. The court simply needs to be reassured that the accused will not flee, that he will not interfere in the case against him and that he will appear in court on the date he has to. Once the accused have paid the bail, he will be allowed to go free.
The attorney will brief his client on the importance of adhering to the conditions of bail. If he does not do so, he can be arrested again and the second time round it will be very difficult to arrange for bail. The accused will also lose the money he posted as bail and he will face additional criminal charges. Some attorneys will even refuse to continue with a case if their clients breach the bail conditions.
The biggest mistake that many accused makes is to be dishonest with their attorneys. They are scared to admit to incriminating facts and they either lie or they omit the facts. This can have serious consequences because without all the facts the attorney cannot present a proper defence. Being caught out in a lie in court can have a seriously negative effect.
In a large number of cases an experienced attorney can save his client a small fortune and lots of time by negotiating a plea bargain. The system allows for accused to plead guilty on a specific charge and to accept the sentence that was negotiated between the attorney and the prosecutor. This is common practice where there is little doubt that the accused is guilty of an offence.
The legal fees in a criminal case can be prohibitive. However, no accused should ever even consider the possibility of representing himself. The legal system is extremely complex and there are numerous pitfalls that can prove to be damaging, detrimental even, to a person defending himself.
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Get a summary of the factors to consider when picking a criminal lawyer Hopewell VA area and more info about a knowledgeable attorney at http://lichlaw.com/hopewell-criminal-law now.