After you are arrested for a crime, there will be a delay during the time between a criminal investigation and the criminal charges filed by a prosecutor. You may think you have some time to relax a little. The prosecutor is probably busy with other cases and cops are busy with their other duties. However, this is never the case. You can be sure that during the gap between the investigation and the filing of criminal charges that the cogs are still turning on your case. The police are preparing their evidence and the prosecutor is working hard to build as strong of a case as possible against you. This means that this isn’t the time to lounge around and relax, you need to be working hard as well if you want to win.
While you can wait until charges are filed to get yourself a defense attorney, it will strongly behoove your case to invest in a defense attorney before the charges are filed by the prosecutor. The prosecutor and law enforcement officials are still working on your case, and you should be too.
When to Get a Lawyer?
In its essence, pre-charge representation should begin at arrest. When the police question you, what you say can strongly affect your case, and you should have a lawyer present to make sure your rights are flowed through and you do not say the wrong thing. One common tactic police will use is to ask you questions, and after you respond with silence, try to offer you a deal such as immunity to help get you to feel safe enough to talk. Yet, the scope of immunity can be as broad or as narrow as those who offer it wish to make it. You can be immune from one crime, but still charged with another. This is where a defense attorney comes in. They can help you understand the scope of any deals that may be offered.
After the arrest and the criminal investigation begins, before the prosecutor gets ready to file charges, this is where the real work of a defense attorney begins. This is the time when pre-charge representation shows its benefits. While the prosecutor is gathering evidence and creating a court strategy, your defense attorney will work tireless to predict their moves based on the facts and evidence of your case. After that has been done, it will be time to craft a counter defense strategy.
However, the biggest advantage of pre-charge representation is that they can uncover any missteps or case-breaking evidence which can be used to get the prosecution to drop the case before the charges are even filed. This can not only get you off the hook for any potential charges, but it can limit your future legal fees as well. While instances where evidence is uncovered that can cause a case to be thrown out is somewhat uncommon, by allowing your legal representation to work on your case before the charges have been filed, it gives them time to work hard towards winning it.
If you have been arrested or are under investigation by the police and it looks like they will press legal action against you, don’t wait to get a lawyer. A skilled and experienced defense attorney like Judith Samson working on your case before charges have been filed can mean the difference between a win and a loss for you. No case is hopeless, so you should contact us today to set up a free consultation to go over the facts of your case and see what we can do to help you get the results that you desire.
Disclaimer: The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.
