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It is important to be proactive when you have been accused of a crime. Even crimes with smaller consequences, such as small-scale theft, can leave lasting problems in your life. Whether you are guilty or not guilty, you should cover your bases and consult with a defense attorney, such as Goldberg & Beyer, as quickly as you can. That way, if you are charged with the crime, you will already have representation and you will have jump-started your case. The list of possible criminal charges is massive and varies from state to state. This makes it somewhat difficult to predict the outcome of many legal situations. Have you committed a crime or is it simply frowned upon? Will the charge be a felony or a misdemeanor? Your attorney will have answers to your important questions and can advocate for you inside and outside of the courtroom if it becomes necessary for him or her to do so. Legal Advising If an attorney takes in your case, he or she is making a commitment to you: he or she will provide advice, a degree of protection against the prosecuting elements of the legal system, and a sure voice inside the courtroom. This advice can run from how much, if anything, to say to questioning police to whether or not you should take a plea deal offered to you. Representing yourself is inadvisable precisely because this kind of advice is not available. Attorneys, well-versed in legal language, can see benefits or traps much more clearly and easily than a layperson would, and furthermore, they can tell you how best to proceed with that new information. You have a much higher chance of acquittal, or at least a lesser sentence, if you listen to the advice of your defense attorney. Plea Deals The truth of the matter is that criminal trials are expensive and often drawn out. Even the most impassioned prosecutor would rather make a plea deal, especially for a misdemeanor, than take the case all the way to trial. If you are offered a deal, it is probably a good idea to take it unless you and your attorney agree that you have a good chance of being found not guilty. Most judges will operate under the idea that if they are forced to hear a case against a defendant who declined a plea deal and the defendant is found guilty, they should order the harshest sentence available. This is not to say that you should give up if you are innocent; it simply means that if the consequences of the deal are acceptable to live with, your attorney will most likely tell you to take the deal instead of risking that harsh punishment. Courtroom Presence If you are not offered a deal or you decline one whose consequences are unacceptable, it will be up to your attorney to create reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury. This is sometimes the most tricky part; he or she must be able to make them see past their prejudices and natural aversion to crime and make them wonder if perhaps it wasn't you after all. In a court of law, the verdicts are not guilty" and innocent; they are guilty and not guilty. With the help of a competent defense attorney, such as Goldberg & Beyer, you have a shot at creating doubt, but not if you try to represent yourself. Unfortunately, individuals who do so are less likely to succeed, simply because they do not know where to start and cannot effectively combat the prosecutor. Don't be afraid to seek out legal help where and when you need it.
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