CRIMINAL TRIAL COUNSEL
FIND OUT WHAT IT TAKES
Maybe you went online and searched for “best criminal attorney near me” however, keep in mind that not all attorneys have extensive trial experience. Below are a few questions you should ask yourself when considering the top criminal defense lawyers for your case.
What Does It Take?
Who will stand-up for you when everyone deserts you; When friends and acquaintances whisper, during their dinner table conversations, you probably did it; When a mean-spirited prosecutor seeks to destroy you; When a “Law and Order” judge peers down at you and a chill runs through your body?
Criminal Trial Counsel, of course, needs experience. But, that is not nearly enough. Criminal prosecution is a real pressure cooker and the more successful you are, the greater your anxiety level because you stand in jeopardy of losing everything.
Criminal Trial Counsel must be diligent, determined, and without fear because everything about the process of prosecution is intimidating, not only for the client but the lawyer, as well. When the judge or prosecutor “reminds” you what the penalties are if convicted, will your lawyer falter and start attempting to persuade you to plead guilty despite the fact that you did not do it or they cannot prove it?
What Is More Valued Than Your Freedom?
Why entrust such a cherished right to someone burdened with too many criminal cases? Is that the type of individual who has the time to devote to YOUR case and find that one piece of evidence, that one sentence among a 1000 pages, that one unknown witness noticed by a bystander, that can make the difference at trial?
What If You Did It?
Will your lawyer seek to protect you even if you did it? Will he/she not take a moral position and force the prosecution to carry their burden of proof and establish your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt? Or, will the knowledge of your mistaken or wrongful conduct be enough to allow the lawyer to rationalize that the pressure of performance is off since you committed the charged offense?
What About Pre-Trial Motions?
While Trial or Guilty Plea are the two main options, cases are frequently disposed of by written Motions, for example, a Motion to Suppress Evidence. When well written and properly researched by skilled counsel, cases are sometimes “thrown out of court” upon the filing and litigation of a proper Motion. Usually, such Motions require an evidentiary hearing wherein the court takes testimony and the lawyer cross-examines witnesses, like a mini-trial. The talent of a good cross-examiner, that comes from not only years of experience but a good sense of street smarts, can shine through and make the difference in such hearings.