Why do I need a lawyer?

I’ve been arrested but I can just do this myself.  Right?   Not a chance.  I tell people all of the time that the law is like a game of football (or baseball or soccer).  There are rules, lots of them and if you don’t know the rules, it doesn’t matter how talented you are.

You need a lawyer. You need a lawyer who knows what they are doing, and you need one as early as possible.  I can’t count the number of times I’ve been hired by someone 2/3rds of the way through their case because they thought they could do it themselves only to find out too late that they can’t.  So many people figure they will talk to the DA,  get an offer, and then figure out if they need an attorney.

By that point, it might be too late.  You may have said something to the DA that you thought was innocuous, but that actually helps their case or hardens their position.  Furthermore, DAs don’t want to change their position just because a lawyer enters on the case (it makes them look bad). and so will frequently stick with that original offer. Hiring an attorney earlier often results in better offers and ensures that deadlines are not missed.

An experienced criminal defense attorney has seen your case many times throughout their career.  They know what types of offers to expect (offers vary greatly by jurisdiction and even by individual prosecutor) and which strategies work best.  They can quickly identify a defense and determine what will work with a jury (and what doesn’t!).  Each criminal defense attorney has their own unique approach and style and you should pick one that matches yours.

Every case has weaknesses.  An experienced criminal defense attorney will point them out and show you how to judo these weak points into strengths for your case.  An experienced trial attorney knows what works and what doesn’t work with juries and can give you an honest assessment of your chances at trial.   You need to know what your chances are at trial to know if you should be pushing harder or taking a deal.  Cases are all about risk management and only an experienced criminal defense attorney can truly tell you the odds.

Let me put it this way:  If I was arrested, I would hire a lawyer and I would do it the moment I knew I was under investigation.

Check out our experienced criminal defense attorneys at Triplellaw.com.