Criminal defense is a stressful and overwhelming situation. If you are facing charges you may find yourself if you can cut corners and costs by representing yourself in court. However, you may be hurting yourself more than you are helping yourself.
It’s recommended as best practice.
According to the Nolo legal encyclopedia, defendants charged are almost always best served with a lawyer. Almost all criminal cases, especially ones where jail or a prison sentence is possible, are represented by a lawyer.
You can’t look up all the answers and best strategies.
One reason having a lawyer is important is because not all the answers can be found in books. Reading a few textbooks does not compare to the years of legal training criminal defense lawyers undergo before beginning their practice. Additionally, the experience they have with working with other clients can be beneficial in other cases.
The attorney has had years of education and experience in cases, like yours.
Another reason to hire an attorney to represent someone charged with a crime is because the education lawyers have received allow them to shed light on areas of law the average person would not look during their stressful time.
It is Difficult to undo a Guilty Plea the Defendant is unhappy with after the case is complete.
Many defendants plead guilty without consulting a lawyer, in an attempt to speed up the process and perhaps save money. However, when they are frequently unhappy with the Judge’s sentence they will try to contact a lawyer to undo or rescind the previous plea. It is very difficult to reopen a case after the defendant pleaded guilty without legal advice.
Criminal defense lawyers also offer many other services beyond questioning people in court, including:
- Negotiating deals with prosecutors on the defendant’s behalf
- Helping defendants cope with stress, fear, and embarrassment
- Offer an objective point of view on the defendant’s situation
- Knowledge of courtroom culture
- Spending a large amount of time looking at the case, and other similar situated cases
- Many times, the lawyer can go to court for you
- Helping you deal with other consequences of the crime, like license suspensions that can be time consuming and confusing.
All in all, hiring a criminal defense attorney to represent a criminal case is nearly essential in a successful case. If you are facing criminal charges and looking for legal assistance, contact an experienced attorney at O’Keeffe O’Brien Lyson Foss Attorneys. Their skillful attorneys will help you in your time of need.
