Having a criminal charge leveled against you is a miserable experience. You’re looking at having a record that follows you for years to come at the very least, and possible jail time to go along with it. It’s not a prospect you relish. It’s possible to take advantage of the public defenders office to defend your case, but you’re relying on a pool of lawyers who may or may not have experience. It’s best to retain a Criminal Attorney Lebanon to work on your case, one who has defended many individuals and is familiar with the local courts.
Police have a tendency to throw whatever charges they can at you, and usually go for the strongest ones, even though it’s out of proportion with the actual event. It’s unfair, but that is what tends to happen, even when you’ve been nothing but polite to the police that arrested you. Now you have an even bigger problem on your hands, one that’s not going to go away very easily. The only way you are going to get these charges dropped or reduced is to rely on the negotiating skills of a Criminal Lawyer Lebanon.
Always remember that you are innocent before being proven guilty in the eyes of the law. That is, the state has to be able to prove that you actually committed the crime. If the evidence against you is weak or non-existent, your lawyer can use this against the prosecution. Typically, the prosecution tries to plea bargain out the charges to avoid going to court, but if there is no evidence against you, it’s much harder to press for a plea bargain, much less go in front of a judge. Even if there is evidence of your crime, your lawyer can still do a lot to help you out with minimizing the impact to your life.
When you decide to hire a lawyer, set up consultations with more than one to find one you are comfortable with. The consultation is your opportunity to interview the lawyer and learn more about her style in court, as well as explore the charges against you. Remember: this is your life in the hands of a lawyer, so select one that you feel is going to be your best advocate.
