Tips For Choosing A Criminal Defense Lawyer

LAW / JUNE 7TH, 2022

Facing criminal charges is daunting. It brings about the probability of serving jail time. In the same vein, it can affect your reputation, tarnish your character, and put your own future at risk even if you’re not convicted. With all the complexities of the criminal justice system and, pending outcomes that impact your future as well as your freedom, your first concern must be finding a professional criminal defense attorney that will best represent you.

Visit: noblecriminaldefense.com There are many factors to consider in order to land on the best criminal defense attorney. The below tips will assist in your research and aid in increasing your chance for a favorable outcome. 1) Level of experience Being accused of your crime is an extremely serious situation. You would like to ensure that the attorney representing you and providing you with legal advice knows the law inside and out. Try to find an legal professional with experience in every courts (municipal, state, federal, superior) as sometimes jurisdictions of the courts overlap and your case may be heard in more than one court. Different Types of Drug Crimes and Charges CCE (Continuing Criminal Enterprise) / Kingpin Conspiracy to Distribute Distribution Trafficking Transportation Possession Possession with the Intent to Distribute Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Possession of Medical Marijuana Minor in Possession Sales/ Dealing Manufacturing Meth Labs Drug Cultivation (Marijuana) Grow Houses Importation Drug Sale near a School Zone Drug Charges Pre-File Investigation Possession Possession is one of the most frequent types of drug charges. Possession charges can occur to juveniles and adults, alike. Basically, this is when a law enforcement officer finds drugs in your possession. Possession means a certain amount of against the law manipulated substances has been found either on your person, in the car or on your personal property. Possession charges can even be accompanied by a wide variety of additional charges including paraphernalia, intent to distribute and trafficking. Intent to Distribute, Manufacturing and Trafficking If you’re found with certain amounts of different kinds of drugs, you’re likely facing an intent to distribute charge. Depending after your own situation, you could also be facing trafficking charges. Once these charges start piling up, you could be facing a minimum of five, ten, two decades or more behind bars. Manufacturing, or growing in the case of marijuana, will also carry severe penalties. These charges are usually reserved for larger scale operations, and could involve multiple state and federal drug enforcement agencies or task forces. Penalties for Different Types of Drugs It’s important to note that not all drugs are created equal, in the eyes of regulations. Certain drugs hold stiffer penalties than other drugs. In general, drugs typically associated with low income users hold much stiffer penalties than drugs that are typically associated with high end income earners. For years, the drug laws have cracked down on those that have little means to hire good criminal attorneys. If you were facing crack cocaine charges, you were going to face stiffer sentences if convicted than for the same amount of traditional cocaine. Meth has been another drug where lower socioeconomic classes took on the responsibility of stiffer sentences. It’s not fair, and it’s not only, which means your best gamble is hiring a highly trained criminal defense lawyer at the earliest opportunity after you’ve been charged. The Weight Makes a Difference Not only can the sort of drug involved in your charges impact on the sort and severity of penalties you’re facing, however the weight or amount of drugs involve will also have a huge effect on your charges and potential penalties if convicted. By way of example, in Mississippi, the misdemeanor classification for marijuana charges is 30 grams or less. Anything over that, and you’re taking a look at felony charges, possibly with the intent to distribute tacked on. The federal government has recently decided how most of what drug constitutes “personal use,” irrespective of your real life situation. If you’ve got multiple dosage unit of crystal meth, you will be charged with a felony. When to Contact a Criminal Defense Attorney in Jackson There are so many types of drug crimes and charges, and the possible combinations of potential charges are nearly endless. Because of mandatory minimums and the War on Drugs, even first-time offenders can face lengthy prison sentences for non-violent infractions. Since many of these drug cases can also involve multiple investigating and police agencies, it’s a good idea to have a attorney that has successful drug case experience, at the neighborhood, state and federal level. Equally as important as the level of expertise is success rate. There is absolutely no replacement for real-life experience, and experience without success means very little when you are facing the consequences of a crime. The best legal professional comes with an impressive background and verifiable success. 2) Avoid a public defender It may be enticing to consider a public defender to avoid the price tag on representation, but typically public defenders are inexperienced and loaded with cases. Due to this, they have very little time to address your case, answer your questions and are less more likely to dedicate their focus on fight for your benefit. 3) Local connections Having an attorney with local connections and established relationships is incredibly helpful. Someone well linked will have an improved comprehension of local procedures, and first-hand experience with judges and prosecutors. They’ll know who entertains plea bargains, and which ones never consider them. Armed with this valuable knowledge of the inner workings of the local legal scene, they’ll be more qualified to think of a winning strategy to change the outcome of your case to the perfect one. 4) Board certification Board certified criminal defense attorneys are the “best of the best”. You’ll be assured that your legal professional is experienced in the specialty legal field in which you have a legal need. Specializing in criminal defense, having a significant amount of jury trials, and an excellent reputation with judges and prosecutors escalates the likelihood of a successful and aggressive defense. 5) In person interview Researching websites, social media, reviews and testimonials of potential attorneys provides useful information but nothing beats face-to-face. Take good thing about the free consultation most offer so you can form a personal impression, gauge whether or not the lawyer enables you to feel comfortable, and get a sense if they are empathetic to your circumstances. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and check reviews, ratings, and references. Are they a trusted advisor you feel comfortable around and are you able to speak candidly with them? It is now time they will reveal their willingness to fight hard for you. 6) Accessible and available Time is of the essence – time lost can mean case lost. Make sure your lawyer is available not only to take your initial call, but promptly responds to your inquiries. An accessible and available legal professional will arrange initial and subsequent meetings at the earliest opportunity. 7) Fees An attorney with the lowest fees is not necessarily your better choice. Remember the old adage “you get what you purchase” – it is not any different when it comes to legal representation. Subsequently, the highest fees aren’t necessarily in your very best interest either. Generally, less experienced attorneys set lower fees, but be careful when you come across an extremely low hourly rate. An experienced legal professional with a higher hourly rate may be able to resolve an instance quicker and more desirable than a novice with a much lower hourly rate, thus being more affordable over time. Bottom line Be thorough, choose wisely. The imminent outcome and how your daily life will be when the case is closed is determined by it. Invest enough time and energy, do the homework and your research in order to select the legal professional that is right for you. It is the most critical decision you’ll make, and choosing wisely makes all the difference in how your case goes and what the results is. Fighting a criminal charge is not something you should leave to chance. The results of your case can alter your entire future and it’s important you get a good criminal defense attorney to help you.