When you find yourself in need of the services of one of the criminal lawyers, you may be at a loss for how you can help your case. Working with the lawyer will give you an idea of what he expects from you. After all, how you conduct yourself while you are facing criminal charges has a large bearing on how your legal situation turns out. In addition to the guidelines the lawyer presents you with, there are some additional ones you should consider.
Source: PixabayAlthough you have most likely heard all your life that the police are your friends, nothing could be further from the truth if you are the defendant in a case. When you are the defendant, it is because the police and prosecution believe that you committed the crime of which you are accused. Their job is to ensure that you are penalized according to the terms set forth by the law.
That is why one of the guidelines criminal lawyers give out to clients is to not talk to the police or prosecutors without first conferring with your counsel. Whatever information you divulge to the police may come back to haunt you in your case. It can be used against you to prove the prosecution’s case. If any member of law enforcement calls you, refer them to your criminal lawyer. You won’t get in trouble for doing so. It is expected of you.
Criminal lawyers are there to help you get a fair shake in the system. They can’t do this if they don’t know the truth. Regardless of the charges you are facing, tell the truth. Your lawyer’s defense strategy is impeded if you don’t tell them upfront whether or not you are guilty of the charges. If you know who did the crime, tell them. If you didn’t commit the crime you are accused of but did commit another one, tell them.
Your lawyer has most likely heard every scenario you could imagine, so don’t worry about being embarrassed. You should also not concern yourself with losing your lawyer’s respect. He will respect you far less if you lie to him and he finds out later from the prosecution while you are in court. Another helpful tip for working with your criminal lawyers is to give them the names and contact information of any witnesses of whom you are aware. Do not attempt to approach them yourself. Most jurisdictions have very strict laws in place to protect the witnesses of crimes. A witness could easily misconstrue your contact as intimidation. If the witness reports you to the police, you could be facing a tampering charge that is considered a felony in most jurisdictions.
When you give your lawyer the contact information, it saves the cost of an investigator. It also gives the lawyer a chance to talk with each witness early on in your case. This is crucial to how he shapes your defense. In all likelihood, the prosecution will have spoken with the witnesses early in your case and have gained useful information that they can use to prosecute you. The sooner the lawyer knows what the witness saw or heard, the better he can counter it in court.
You should be on time for every appointment or hearing related to your criminal charge. The judge in your case may take your inability to show up for hearings on time as the dismissal of the seriousness of the charges you are facing. This could negatively impact you if you are convicted and are facing sentencing for your crime.