Imagine being charged with a crime that you didn't commit. You are indeed innocent, but you must prove your innocence in court. If you are in such a tricky situation, you should look for the best attorney to represent you and prove your innocence. Besides proving your innocence, a lawyer can help you petition your plea bargain and other aspects related to your criminal charges. Following are the benefits of hiring a defense lawyer for your case: 

  1. Defense Lawyers Have Better Legal Knowledge and Expertise

The primary benefit of hiring a criminal defense lawyer is the expertise that they have and offer. Qualified attorneys have been professionally educated, meaning that they know various legal systems ins and outs. For instance, lawyers in California go through a vigorous training process to be members of the California Bar Association.

The process begins with securing an admission Bachelor’s degree, although no specific major is required. They should also pass a Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and have good scores. LSAT usually assesses the scholar's critical reading, analytical reasoning, logical reasoning, and compelling writing skills.

After passing the LSAT, aspirants usually attend law school to acquire a Juris doctorate. This is a graduate-level doctoral degree that recognizes that you are a doctoral degree holder. It is the minimum education for lawyers in California. Those without it cannot take a bar test. 

Aspirants also have to take a Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE), a multiple-question, 2 hours, 60-question ethics exam before the Bar Exam. Once the scholar passes the MPRE, you can take the Bar test.

The Bar Exam is the final examination, which, unfortunately, most aspirants fail. The test is a multiple-choice essay that assesses your state's law knowledge and the ability to apply the law under various scenarios. Once the learner passes the Bar Exam, he or she can work as a California attorney.

With all the rigorous process that a California lawyer has to go through to become a professional, hiring one is the right decision since they use the knowledge they acquire to build a strong defense against your accusations. 

  1. Criminal Defense Attorneys Understand the Judicial System Well

The court system is like a maze of bureaucracy. You may have no idea how to find your way around if you are a first-timer. Apart from that, court rules and laws are complex and confusing for anyone unfamiliar with their technicalities. That's why you should hire a professional attorney who will help you through the following steps of a criminal court proceeding.

The Investigation Phase

Whatever you say or do at the early stages of criminal investigations might have lasting effects on you even when you are not charged with the alleged crime. Hiring an attorney at this phase will relieve you from some of the pressure that comes with police interrogation but can also have your case denied by the district attorney's office. Some of the other benefits of hiring an attorney include:

  • Giving Advice During Interrogations

In a criminal investigation, suspects should say as little as possible. Suspects should not offer information that they are not asked for or admit to any wrongdoing. Use your right to remain silent and ask to speak to an attorney. Once you do this, your attorney will receive all questions related to the interrogation. It also implies that you have legal representation and does not require a public defender.

  • Correcting Erroneous Police Reports

The police’s interest is to build a case and to prosecute a suspect. Unfortunately, they may add information on their reports that brings a false picture of you, besides the need to be rational in their views. Despite this requirement, they can formulate a biased view while investigating your case. Fortunately, with the help of an attorney, he or she can evaluate your situation along with the investigators to ensure that certain information is accurate before generating a police report and availing it to the prosecution. 

  • Seeking Favorable Evidence and Witnesses

Hiring a lawyer during pre-file investigations can significantly help you seek the right witnesses and locate the proper evidence. Your lawyer will prepare and interview witnesses who will testify on your behalf and examine all evidence suitable for your defense.

  • Preparing for Unfavorable Evidence and Witnesses

If the police have witnesses that should testify against you, you should know about them early enough. Your lawyer can locate and know about these witnesses and plan a strategy that will diffuse any false opinion on their testimony. They should do the same when they take note of potentially damaging evidence.

  • Using the Law in Your Favor

The law is continually changing. Therefore, having a lawyer who’s up-to-date with recent court rulings will ensure that the police handle the investigation process as per the law. Your attorney's knowledge of new laws can also do away with improper evidence before it influences anyone, especially members of the jury.

  • Negotiating with The Prosecution Agency

The prosecution often files multiple criminal charges expecting judges will dismiss some during the plea-bargain phase. Having an attorney by your side will help persuade a passionate prosecutor from filing unreasonable charges against you, improving the chances of reducing or dismissing your charges. 

  • Dealing with Media Request

High-profile crime draws public interest. In that case, you might end up finding yourself dealing with unexpected reporters in your home or business. The media can be disruptive and unrelenting, especially when they start asking personal questions. Importantly, you should avoid making a mistake that would be incriminating.

Fortunately, with the help of your attorney, he or she can handle the relentless questioning from the media and ensure that they are handled professionally. 

  • Preparing for Bail

If you are sure of your arrest, your attorney can save time by meeting with a bail bondsman's service early enough. An attorney-referred bail bondsman usually has lower fee charges. Your attorney will also help you expedite your release from custody by quickening the bail bonds process. The faster you are released, the quicker you will get back to your family and work. You will also have enough time to assist your attorney in preparing your defense. 

The Arraignment Phase

An arraignment is the first appearance in court after being arrested and charged. At an arraignment, you will expect the court to read the charges made against you, explain your rights, and explain that they will appoint a lawyer if you cannot afford one. You will also have the chance to get into a plea to the charges made against you.

Seeking the help of a criminal attorney during the arraignment phase is beneficial. The following are the benefits of choosing an attorney during the arraignment phase.

  • An Attorney Will Give Advice About your Summon to Appear to Court

If you have been summoned to appear in court for arraignment, you need guidance on what it means and how best you should proceed with this process. Sometimes arraignments can be frustrating, especially when the date was set months ago or you have no idea you were investigated. Speaking to an attorney can be relieving since it helps analyze and discuss your criminal charges before you walk blindly into court.

  • A Lawyer Can Help You Reschedule Your Arraignment

Most people are busy and can find it challenging to find time off their work on short notice to appear in court. If you contact an attorney with a criminal defense attorney early, he or she can help you reschedule your arraignment rather than missing it.

  • An Attorney Can Help You Resolve the Case Before Your Arraignment

Your attorney can solve some criminal cases before an arraignment. However, it requires them to work on a Pre-trial Diversion Agreement, especially for DUI cases.  In case your case is not resolved before arraignment, an attorney will seek favorable conditions for your release. For instance, if you are required to set up an ignition interlock, your attorney can have you take an alcohol evaluation before the arraignment. This helps the judge decide whether the condition should apply and help you avoid costly release conditions.

  • You Can Meet with Your Attorney Anytime

One of the significant differences between a private and public defender is their availability. In most cases, public defenders do not make follow-ups with their clients and are usually unavailable. However, with the help of a private criminal defense attorney, you will rest assured of his or her availability wherever anytime you need their services. 

The Trial Phase

A trial is a formal legal proceeding where the facts of a case are presented to a bench trial or a jury trial to determine whether a defendant is guilty or innocent of a particular offense. Most allegations do not go to trial unless the judge concludes that there is probable cause to believe that you committed a crime and a trial should be scheduled.

There are several benefits of having a private criminal attorney during the trial phase. You would expect your attorney to communicate openly and collaboratively with you to obtain a thorough criminal and personal history to determine your mental capacity, a timeline of the crime, state of your mind, and relationship with the victim. With attorney-client confidentiality in play, anything shared with the attorney remains confidential.

Your criminal attorney will also use the "discovery" process to promote fairness in your trial. In this process, the attorney can request all the documents, lab tests, witness statements, and charging documents to cross-examine them. Your attorney should also help you with evidence, for example, illegal seizures and searches. 

Most private attorneys utilize personal investigators to gather new evidence and facts of your case. A reasonable attorney will not take the prosecutor's version of the event at face value but will conduct research, including interviewing witnesses, exploring inconsistency in the state's evidence, and determining their credibility.

There are other ways that your defense attorney will be vested into your case's trial. These includes:

  1. Analyzing and Interpreting the Evidence: Developing a Defense Theory

Your lawyer will analyze the collected facts of your case and create a "theory of defense." This summarizes a defendant's version of the story and answers questions that the prosecutor will likely raise during the trial. The best criminal lawyers utilize a team approach when developing the defense theory, which includes thinking outside the box and brainstorming with other expert attorneys.

  1. Using Outside Help to Strengthen Your Case's Defense

A strong defense also depends on bringing outside consultants to lend their experience to the case when needed. These include experts like:

  • Expert Witnesses: Your attorney will probably engage expert witnesses to investigate a case and testify on your behalf at the trial. A seasoned trial attorney will likely locate and engage a top and respected expert witness at the top of his or her respective field like psychology, medicine, forensic science, among others
  • Trial Consultants: Your attorney can also engage one or several trial consultants with backgrounds in fields such as communications, law, social science, and clinical psychology. The roles of these consultants vary by the case. Still, they are essential in building a defense strategy, creating presentations to be used in a trial, and advising on the sentencing recommendations.
  • Jury Consultants: Jury consultants are specialized in helping attorneys choose the best jury for hearing a case. Although attorneys cannot exclude potential jurors based on aspects like race, gender, or age, both the prosecution and defense aim to avoid selecting someone who can bring potential biases and may sympathize with their arguments. Using a jury consultant can help your team decide what type of juror could help or hinder their trial success.

  1. Lawyers Have Maintained a Good Relationship with the Prosecutors

After lawyers have worked for a long time in the legal field, they begin to develop a relationship with the prosecuting attorneys. It might seem odd to develop a working relationship with someone who you are against every time. Still, there is a better working experience when people are familiar with each other. Having an attorney with this kind of milestone proves vital in the outcome of your case since this relationship will allow the attorney to negotiate a better deal or negotiate an affordable bond. 

  1. Saves on Your Budget

If you insist on representing yourself to save on attorney's fees, you are shooting yourself in the foot. The margin error while preparing for court is significant once you decide to handle everything by yourself. Missing minor details in your files or missing a deadline can be huge costs as well.

You can also end up being hit with heavy fees and lose most of your time. You cannot afford to make a mistake since all the money you ought to save by representing yourself means nothing if you end up in prison or jail. Hiring an attorney eliminates these variables depending on human error.

  1. You Can Still Win When it Seems Like You’re Losing

Lawyers can work a miracle even with evidence piled against your case. One of the best perks of being an experienced lawyer is tenacity. This means that they can continue presenting arguments towards the judge and jury to minimize your charges. Therefore, instead of spending years in prison, they can bargain for alternative sentencing and make a significant difference between losing employment and keeping it.

Alternative sentencing includes community service, house arrest, work furlough, and rehabilitation programs. All these programs look better on your record and do not make you untrustworthy than felons who have spent their time in jail. 

  1. A Lawyer Can Help You Keep Your Record Clean

A criminal record can follow you for the rest of your life. It can lead to denial of job opportunities, various government assistance, and public housing. Expunging your criminal record can be a challenging process, so your priority should be preventing having one.

You might think that hiring a criminal attorney will put you into debt, but this is worth saving your record. Whenever you get a quiet dismissal or a public victory of your case, you will not have a bad record on you. Even when you lose and are probably expected to have a bad record on you, your attorney can still help you dismiss or expunge the record.

Many people don’t realize that criminal records remain on public records even after serving a jail or prison sentence. However, with a lawyer's help, you will be aware of this and know how to keep your record clean.

Find a Criminal Attorney Near Me

Criminal charges attract possible jail time, fines of thousands of dollars, among other consequences. The cost of hiring an attorney may be way less than the price that would come along, especially in an event where you're convicted. If you or your loved one face criminal charges, you need the help of an experienced attorney. Contact the Los Angeles Attorney at 424-333-0943 for a thorough assessment of your case and let us help you in the best way possible.