Being Prepared To Defend Yourself When Faced With A Criminal Charge

8 November 2021
 Categories: Law, Blog

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Facing a criminal charge can be an extremely difficult time in your life. In addition to the stress of defending yourself against these charges, you will also face the potential of jail time, expensive fines, or other life-altering consequences. While most people will want to avoid committing crimes, it is still important to understand the types of steps you should take if you ever find yourself facing this type of situation.

Regardless Of Guilt, Avoid Answering Questions Without A Defense Attorney

A common mistake that people will make when they are facing a criminal charge is assuming that they will only need to hire an attorney if they are guilty. This can lead to them being more open to answering questions. Unfortunately, it can be easy to incriminate yourself even if you are completely innocent. Having an attorney present during questions can help to avoid this as they will be able to ensure your rights are protected against aggressive or misleading questioning tactics. Refusing to answer any questions until you have a lawyer can be difficult as you may be pressured, but it is one of the most important things that you can do to protect yourself against accidentally exposing yourself to greater criminal liability.

Appreciate That Plea Deals Are Not Automatically Guaranteed

It is often assumed that a plea deal will always be offered by the prosecution. While it is true that plea bargains are an integral part of the criminal justice system, there is no guarantee that the prosecution will make this offer to you. In particular, the prosecution will be far less likely to be interested in a plea bargain when there is extremely strong evidence against the accused. Additionally, it should be noted that not all plea bargains are worth taking. Having a criminal defense attorney representing you can help you with assessing the quality of the plea bargain that is offered as well as negotiating the terms of this agreement.

Follow All The Requirements For Your Bail Release

It is common for individuals that are accused of a crime to be able to post bail so that they can leave jail until their trial is concluded. However, there are a number of stipulations that will come with this release. An example of this could be being prevented from leaving the state or even the county. Following all of these requirements is essential to avoid having the bail revoked and potentially being detained until the proceedings are concluded.

Contact a local criminal defense lawyer to learn more.