Criminal defense lawyers like those found at https://www.lomtl.com/ will offer legal counsel in any situation where it is required.
The sooner you can get a criminal defense lawyer on board, the better your situation will look. But you should never attempt to fight criminal charges yourself as you likely won’t have the necessary legal experience and expertise to fight your case.
If you’ve been charged and aren’t entirely sure when to hire a criminal defense lawyer, this article will point you in the right direction.
Drug Charges
Illicit drugs such as heroin and cocaine are outlawed at federal and state levels. Having any type of association with these substances whether that’s cultivation, trafficking, possession, or distribution could see you sent behind bars for a considerable amount of time.
This is because drug convictions can carry stiff penalties. If this is a situation you’ve found yourself in, then you need to call a criminal defense lawyer to handle your case before you are charged.
The drug crimes criminal reform allows a criminal defense lawyer to work their magic and negotiate a plea deal if you’re a low-level offender. You would then have to help to catch the head of these illegal operations.
A criminal defense lawyer will do several things to defend you against drug charges. They will also work to prove that:
- Law enforcement officers have carried out an unlawful or illegal search and seizure.
- All the seized drug paraphernalia belongs to somebody else.
- There is evidence missing from the drugs that have been seized.
- The defendant had no choice but to carry or hold drugs for another person.
Assault And Battery Charges
Depending on the overall circumstances of the crime, these types of cases can vary regarding the potential outcome. So if someone has leveled these charges against you, you must hire a criminal defense lawyer immediately! If you try to defend yourself without a legal background you might be facing some serious jail time.
Self Defense
This is the most common defense strategy to fight assault and battery charges. But if you are to successfully prove your actions were in self-defense, you must be able to prove the following points:
- That there was an imminent threat of harm that caused you to react.
- There was no opportunity for you to safely retreat from the situation.
- You didn’t provoke the other party.
- You feared harm being inflicted upon you by the other party.
Defense Of Others
This tactic works a lot like self-defense but with one crucial difference; the accused party had a perceived fear of harm against somebody else.
Alcohol Crimes
Alcohol plays a huge role in numerous crimes that would otherwise never really be categorized as being drug-related. There are four main alcohol-based offenses including Driving Under the Influence (DUI), minor in possession of alcohol, public intoxication, and open container.
A DUI charge is the most serious charge of them all. It also carries severe penalties. If you don’t understand alcohol-related laws or your rights in this type of situation, then hiring a criminal defense lawyer is the logical next step after you have been charged for your crimes.
Fraud Or Financial Crimes
These crimes usually involve some type of deceit or an abuse of trust. Some examples include credit or debit card fraud, insurance fraud, and forgery, which are also classified as white-collar crimes.
If you have been charged with financial or fraud-based crimes then you will immediately need to hire a criminal defense attorney that specializes in white-collar crime to come to your rescue.
Ideally, you should refrain from answering any questions from a criminal investigator until you have a criminal defense lawyer ready to defend you. Speaking to these individuals without your lawyer being present might mean that you incriminate yourself, regardless of whether you’re at fault for the crime.
Homicide Charges
The act of taking the life of another individual is classed as a homicide regardless of the circumstances. But it is also important to note that in some instances, homicide isn’t considered to be a crime. This is true when it comes to state-sanctioned executions.
For this charge to be considered a crime, prosecutors must be able to prove ill intent or negligence on the part of the accused. So if you or somebody close to you are facing these charges, taking the initiative to hire a criminal defense attorney to fight your corner is an immediate and essential step.
Summary
So if you or someone you know has had a brush with the law and are facing the repercussions in the form of serious criminal charges, hiring a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible is the best way forward.
