Should I Get A Lawyer Before Being Charged?

Should I get a lawyer before being charged?

If you've been accused of a crime, you may not take the accusations seriously because criminal charges have not been filed against you. However, just because you have yet to be charged with a crime does not mean charges won’t be filed against you. What may be taking place is referred to as a pre-filing investigation.

During a pre-filing investigation, the police analyze a case to try to find more evidence or try to make sense of any hidden or ambiguous facts before charges are filed.

The following are six reasons why you need to hire an experienced criminal defense attorneyas soon as you suspect you may be charged with a crime;

During your pre-filing investigation, the prosecutor could file serious charges against you based on the early investigation done by the police. If you don't have a criminal defense attorney to monitor the prosecutor, the prosecutor can aggressively file charges against you with very little oversight if any. This is why I always recommend hiring an experienced attorney so you have someone who can monitor the prosecution so you're not facing outrageous charges.

It's not unusual for the police to try and speak to you before criminal charges are filed against you. It's possible that the police may want to talk to you in person or over the phone. They could be talking to you to get additional information, but they may also be trying to get you to confess. While they may act like they're on your side, anything you give them may be used against you in court. This is why it's vital to have a criminal defense lawyer that can speak on your behalf.

The pre-filing investigation can take a long time, it could be weeks, months, even years before criminal charges may be filed against a person. If you've hired a criminal attorney, your lawyer can keep you up-to-date on how your case is going. As they have conversions with police and the prosecution, they will able to relay information to you.

If you have been accused of a crime, your attorney can clarify what that crimes mean, the effects it can have on your life and what you need to do during these trying times. A good criminal attorney is going to understand how the court system works in New Orleans (or what area you live in. Also, where your crime took place can determine certain factors within the court (which could be leniency of judges, prosecutors, procedures, etc.) All of these can have an impact on your case. When you have questions about this, your criminal lawyer can answer those questions.

For those reading that have been accused of a crime, it is important to retain an experienced attorney as soon as possible so that attorney can review your case and start building your defense against the charges against the charges. Your criminal defense team can begin building your case, talking to law enforcement, witnesses, etc. Without an attorney, you're going to be limited to the information you can obtain.

Retaining an attorney during the pre-filing investigation does have benefits. To begin with, the attorney will be doing his/her own research on your case. Before the prosecution has an opportunity to file charges against you, your attorney can try to speak to the prosecutor and try to convince the prosecutor to not file charges against you based on your attorney’s investigation. Your attorney will then have the opportunity to show the prosecutor new facts in your case that can lead to reduced charges or no charges at all.

If you have the opportunity to get a great criminal defense attorney, they can be the difference between good results vs bad results. It's easy to search for a criminal defense attorney via Google and call the first one you see. However, we encourage you do to your due diligence. We understand this is a trying time for you, make no mistake about it. Even so, not all attorneys are created equal.

If you're looking for an aggressive New Orleans criminal lawyer with the experience to boot, give Lance a call. Criminal defense attorney Lance J. Robinson has over 22 years experience and has successfully represented over 2,400 clients. He has a long track record of success and is one of the most reviewed criminal attorneys in Google (You can check for yourself!)

If you need a New Orleans or Louisiana criminal defense attorney, give us a call at 504-465-0101. Don't hesitate to reach out, our initial consult is absolutely free and we'd love to help answer any questions you may have.