If you have been or expect to be charged with a criminal charge, you should have the representation of the best criminal defense attorney you can afford.
Criminal charges can be difficult to fight and if you are underrepresented, the impact of charges can last a lifetime.
What Is the Rule of Thumb Here?
The rule of thumb in regard to hiring a legal defense team is to hire the best criminal defense lawyer that you can afford even if it means mortgaging your house to do so.
The initial upfront cost for your defense is an investment in your future and your freedom.
The majority of criminal defense cases end with a plea bargain but some actually do go to trial.
What Is The Role of Your Criminal Defense Attorney?
Your criminal defense attorney's job is to what is in your best interest which may mean fighting the charges clear to court and forcing the state to prove their case against you or it may mean accepting a plea bargain that gets you as little jail time as possible.
Make sure the criminal defense lawyer you actually select understands what outcome you are after and make sure that you understand the cost that is involved over the long duration a case may take.
Can I Bail Out?
Most criminal defense attorneys advise that depending on the seriousness of the charge and your past criminal history and ties to the community, you may or may not be sitting in a jail waiting for your trial.
A trial can take up to a year to process through, even in a system that guarantees a speedy trial, so that is a lot of down time to contemplate.
How Does That Jail Time Count?
If you plea bargain out or are found guilty at trial, the time you spent in jail will be taken off your total sentence time. If you are found innocent, that's just a lot of time in jail you won't be compensated for.
It is a time to defend your charges before judge.