An effective criminal defense attorney should be able to analyze your case from all angles, be able to solve complex problems, be driven, passionate, and be able to communicate clearly.
Both parties should build a foundation based on mutual respect. Clients should be able to trust and be completely honest with their attorney. This will often include sharing personal or embarrassing information. The attorney should have the ability to listen, be non-judgmental and have empathy.
You should NEVER consent to a search without first consulting with a criminal defense attorney. When you consent, you give up important constitutional rights. Be polite, but be firm about this. If the police still try to search you, do not resist, but maintain that you did not give consent. Then call me immediately!
You need to be advised of certain do’s and don’ts, including information about your constitutional rights. It is important not to make certain mistakes that could harm your case if charges are filed. A good criminal defense attorney will be able to advise you through this stage.
Contact me immediately! Do not speak to the police. Invoke your Miranda rights, and request to speak to an attorney. Then remain silent. The police cannot continue to badger you once you have invoked these rights. Don’t try and chat with them either. They are NOT your friends.
They are brought to the arresting agency for processing. Depending on the charges, they can be released the same day or held until they are arraigned. Having an effective criminal defense attorney that will advise you at this stage is critical.
Absolutely not! Invoke your Miranda rights, remain silent, and call me immediately!
Your Miranda rights is your right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself when the police are trying to interrogate you. They cannot continue questioning you once you have invoked these rights. Invoke your Miranda rights, remain silent and call me immediately.
It depends on if the police interrogated you or not. If you were being interrogated, this was not allowed and can lead to evidence being suppressed. It’s very important to hire an effective defense attorney like myself that is well-versed in these types of issues. If you were interrogated and not given your Miranda rights, call me immediately.
An arraignment is your first appearance in a criminal court before a judge. Having a good criminal defense attorney at this stage is imperative. During this appearance, you will be formally read your charges, bail will be set, and you will plead guilty, no guilty or no contest.
Not a smart decision. Come on, you’re smarter than that.
Yes! An effective defense attorney can minimize the harm you might face during the court process. During appearances, things can go extremely fast. Small mistakes can create much larger issues, regardless of what you plead. Don’t risk it. I can help you navigate through the process.
An infraction is the lowest type of penalty, and will not require you to serve jail time. An example of an infraction is a speeding ticket, or cell phone ticket.
A misdemeanor charge is one in which you serve less than a year in jail.
A felony is a charge where you can serve a year or longer in jail.
A wobbler is a charge that can be tried as a misdemeanor, or as a felony. Prosecutors will typically charge as a felony though, for various reasons. If you have been charged with a wobbler, it is important to have an experienced criminal defense attorney representing you.
A pretrial conference is a meeting by both parties in court. These are held before the trial. Parties might discuss or negotiate a case amongst themselves, or in the judge’s chambers prior to appearing before the judge.
Preliminary hearings are held when your being charged with a felony. During these hearings, the judge hears the evidence and determines if there is probable cause to hold you over on the charges. The preliminary hearing is an extremely important stage and it’s important you don’t make missteps during it.
These are also called “aggravating factors.” These being added on to charges increase a sentence beyond it’s normal range. The enhancements can relate to someone’s past or the current offense. In the context of the past, enhancements are typically added for someone’s prior criminal history. If relating to the current offense, enhancements are typically added due to specific details about how the alleged crime was committed.
The three strikes law comes into play if you have been convicted of three separate felonies. W With conviction of third felony, the minimum jail time you will face is 25 years to life. So even if your third felony would usually only require 2 years, it doesn’t matter. Your choices are 25 to life….or 25 to life.