The worst thing you can do when charged with a crime is to think you can get out of it yourself. Innocent or otherwise, it can be stressful and frightening on your part, and that’s why having someone on your side is crucial in the justice system. Representing yourself is a no-go, especially if you want to win the case and the people who charged you are hell-bent on making sure you don’t.
But how indispensable is a criminal defense lawyer in the face of criminal charges? According to Yale’s research (check it out), having a professional to represent you shows a stark contrast to when you wish to represent yourself. A criminal defense lawyer on your side lowers the possibility of a lifetime in prison by over 62%. On top of that, a 24% chance of significantly reducing your sentence can also occur if not winning the case.
All About A Criminal Defense Lawyer
A criminal defense lawyer is a professional that specializes in defending individuals with criminal charges. Whether privately hired or court-appointed, these lawyers screen facts and make sure they cover everything that can be used to your advantage. They also do paperwork (which are mountainous), investigate the case against their clients, and make deals with opponents (prosecutors). These said deals can reduce bail, charges, and sentences.
That’s why it’s vital to hire criminal defense lawyers seasoned and well-versed in the area. For example, one just like the Mckinstry Law Firm, which has Patrick Mckinstry at its helm. Being in the scene for almost 15 years, this colorado-born, Arizona-state graduate is reputable enough to interview Denver’s mayor twice for a Denver Country Court Judgeship. Who better to rely on with your worries than a veteran, well-known defense lawyer?
Why You Should Consider Getting A Lawyer For Your Case
1. They’re Knowledgeable About The Legal System
They say if you haven’t studied or practiced a profession, it doesn’t matter how high your education is. A teacher can’t do a successful heart transplant any more than a doctor can successfully teach a classroom filled with school-age children. Now, apply that thought to the court and imagine yourself, who does not know whatsoever about the legal system attempting to defend yourself. It’s a mess.
There are criminal defense lawyers—professionals with licenses—existing for a reason. There’s no reason for you to get yourself or anyone else that didn’t study and graduate from law school as your attorney. Most of the time, the court will be against you, and most of these cases lose one way or the other.
Don’t torture yourself with paperwork, negotiations, and fact-finding. Get a local professional to do all of those for you and more.
2. They Can Explain Legalities, Strategies, And Concepts To You
Instead of aimlessly reading and studying via articles on the net, isn’t it much better to be handed relevant information by someone who knows what he’s doing? For example, if you were alone, it’s expected your train of thought would go linear to defending yourself and winning the case. You wouldn’t be aware there are other paths to go through additional than accepting a sentence, both severe and absolute.
Negotiations between the defendant and prosecutor can happen to strike a deal both parties find fair. This is called plea bargaining (link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plea_bargain) and is often done in cases with less severe charges. Through this deal, a lot of money, time, and effort can be saved between them. However, take note that almost all prosecutors don’t accept plea bargaining from those who self-represent.
This is just one thing the lawyer can explain to you. There are many things they can inform you about that you weren’t aware of if you were alone in court.
3. They Got Your Paperwork Covered
On top of educating yourself, you also have paperwork you need to get busy with. Of course, this counts when you don’t have a lawyer. If you hired one, paperwork and all the legalities fall in their care, so all you have to do is listen to what they say and keep to yourself in court. You wouldn’t want to do otherwise, as the paperwork is daunting, and the court keeping tabs of all you say and do.
4. They Know The Players Of The Game
In the court of wits, there’s no way brute strength and perseverance will help win you a case (which happens most of the time when someone self-represents). You’ll end up saying something that is both damning and erroneous on your part, and all because you don’t have any legal advice beside you to guide you along the way.
They also have extensive knowledge of who they’re dealing with, from the judges to the opponent’s lawyer. With this knowledge on hand, they can operate more efficiently by fitting their defense strategies and style to best their opponents.
They can also identify all the Judge’s likes and dislikes, which is an excellent benefit to your side. The jury is also one powerful pawn in the game in making decisions and moving the direction of the case. It might sound manipulative, but this is how the game works, and if you don’t play along, you’ll end up losing every time.
5. They Can Speed Things Up For You
Compared to self-representing, a lawyer knows all the strategies and mitigating actions to smooth over the sessions for you. This means the overall time you can spend at court will be split in half, and you have a greater chance of walking free from the charges. On top of that, handling technicalities like paperwork will take longer for you to process, but lawyers with connections can quickly get all the necessary documents on or before the deadline expires.
6. They Can Help You Avoid Large Penalties
Often when you surrender or lose, penalties become so severe, they’re sometimes unfair. Especially when you’re innocent, it can be disheartening to receive penalties for crimes you didn’t commit. This is where your criminal defense attorney steps in. If they know you’re falsely accused, they’ll use every strategy and try every trick in the book to make sure you attain freedom.