If you are lucky enough to have advance warning that you are the subject of a criminal investigation, you should begin the search for a Criminal Defense Attorney in Pasadena immediately. A lawyer can do more than just help in court after you are arrested. They can also attend any meetings with the police and assist in gathering evidence that will help your case. This could mean convincing the police to never file charges and never having an arrest record.
A Google search is only the first step. A search engine ranks lawyers not by how good they are, but by how closely the text on the lawyer’s web-page matches what you typed into the search box. You should review several pages of results and come up with a list of several lawyers that handle your type of case and that look like you would be able to work with them.
Once you have the list, begin making phone calls. Anything you say to an Attorney in Pasadena about things you did in the past are treated as confidential, meaning the lawyer cannot repeat them to the police or anyone else, even if you do not hire them. You should ask how much experience they have handling your type of case, how much trial experience they have, and how often have they gotten the police to not bring charges in pre-investigation arrests. Be looking for someone you think you can work well with; not only will you need to assist them in gathering evidence, but jurors, prosecutors, and judges will be able to tell if your lawyer does not like you and use it against you. Remember to also ask about fees.
If you have already been arrested and did not have your own lawyer to call, the court will have appointed you a lawyer for the purpose of arraignments. This lawyer is almost always a public defender. If you make more than the maximum income to use public defender services, you will need to find a private Criminal Defense Attorney Pasadena before your first court date using the steps above. If you are eligible for their services, but wish to find your own lawyer, you are also free to hire a lawyer of your own choosing.
