Should I hire a lawyer?

Sometimes a police official or other government official contacts you regarding a crime or event  and that in and of itself might lead you to believe that you need legal counsel.  You may be right,  so how do you know if you are?  

If a police officer shows up at your home or workplace and starts asking you questions about a crime or event then it is not certain, but entirely possible, that you are or will become a suspect.  This is true even if you are not a suspect at the outset of the questioning and have not been arrested.  You should not assume that the police are always going to be completely honest with you and sometimes in the course of their investigation they say whatever they think is necessary to get you to say what they want to hear.  It could be that you are not a suspect and the officer or official is just conducting an investigation.  That could change at any time and you should keep that in mind if you choose to speak with police without a lawyer present.  

It is often a wise choice to tell a questioning officer that you would like to have an attorney present before answering any questions.  A criminal defense attorney that is worth their salt will work diligently to help you avoid self incriminating yourself when being questioned by police.  You should understand that insisting on having an attorney present during talks with the police is not an admission of guilt. 

If you have actually been charged with a crime then it is definitely a sound decision to hire a good defense lawyer to mount a proper defense.  If you have been charged with a crime then it is wise to request that an attorney be present before you agree to answer any questions. Do not be afraid to stay silent.  A good criminal attorney can help make sure that you are not giving up valuable rights and that police or the prosecutor stays within the bounds of the law in gathering and presenting argument and evidence against you.  Criminal defendants without attorneys very often say things that get them into deeper trouble than they were before they started speaking. 

It is very important that you have a lawyer who understands the many rules that surround criminal procedure and other rules that govern the prosecution of criminal cases.  You have the right to represent yourself, but that is almost always not a good decision.  You need someone in your corner that is accustomed to working with this area of the law and has a strong desire to make sure your rights are not violated.   

If you would like to talk to an attorney then give the Law Office of Chad Zubi a call.  We can discuss your case confidentially and the initial consultation is free of charge.  

Other blog posts you may be interested in:

The Life Cycle of a Criminal Case
Is Sexual Harassment a Crime?