Criminal Defense: Dealing With Felony Charges The Right Way
Felony charges are more serious than torts and cases such as personal injury cases. Felony charges can be brought against you for charges such as assault, sexual abuse, kidnap, manslaughter, and robbery with violence, among other serious crimes.
If convicted, these crimes carry a jail sentence of many years and, sometimes, even the death sentence. The best way to handle such charges is to start with having a criminal lawyer working on your case. Here are four other things you can do to deal better with felony charges.
Know and Follow Your Miranda Rights
A lot of things happen when you are being seized by the relevant authorities. While in that situation and due to confusion, you might make mistakes that will hurt your case deeply. However, if you understand your Miranda rights, you will avoid most mistakes. First, the law gives you the freedom to choose to remain silent regardless of how far the arresting officer pushes you.
The other thing is that you have the right to hire the services of an attorney; get one before any interrogation. It is advisable to refuse to answer any question unnecessarily because any utterance you make can be used to show that you are the one at fault in the court of law.
Don't Be Violent or Disrespectful
Another thing that can complicate your case is resisting arrest or assaulting an arresting officer. It is never easy when you are arrested and then charged with a crime that you did not commit, but getting violent or running away makes you appear guilty.
Try to compose yourself, and allow the police to cuff you peacefully. You will have time and the opportunity to clarify everything at the station with the help of a lawyer.
Call a Lawyer
After you have been booked and arrested, you will be given an opportunity to make a phone call. If you know a good criminal defense lawyer, you should make this call to them. You may also call a friend or a family member you trust to come post bail if you are allowed to before a lawyer comes in.
It's best to call a lawyer before posting bail because they can assess the case and determine if it is possible to have the charges dropped in the arraignment.
Let Your Lawyer Formulate a Defense Plan
If the charges are not dropped, you might have to go to court. Having a lawyer by your side makes this step easy. They will assess the circumstances and advise you on how to plea and the steps to follow for the best outcome.
The most important thing is to hire a criminal lawyer as soon as you are arrested and charged. Contact a criminal lawyer in your area to learn more.
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