HousonLafrancePA

HOW CAN A CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY HELP ME?

The criminal justice system is a complex and powerful entity. An experienced criminal defense attorney is someone who understands the system, knows the (written and unwritten) rules, and speaks the language of the prosecutor to help level the playing field or make sure you get a fair plea deal. A knowledgeable criminal defense attorney can:

  • Investigate the charges against you. Your criminal defense attorney will visit the scene of the crime; interview witnesses; review official reports and other documents; and examine the physical evidence. Unlike the police investigation, your attorney’s investigation will consider the facts with an eye toward finding holes in the evidence, gaps in proof, inconsistencies, and anything that might give rise to reasonable doubt.
  • Scrutinize the officers’ conduct. Did the officers’ conduct, in connection with your arrest and/or in gathering the evidence against you, violate your constitutional rights? If so, your attorney can bring a motion to have the evidence suppressed.
  • Stand between you and the government. The law and procedures that govern a criminal case are complicated. Unless you have studied and trained in the law, it is impossible for you to know all of your rights or when those rights are being violated. Your attorney can help you assert your rights and protect you from an overzealous prosecutor.
  • Develop a theory of defense. Did you act in self-defense? Do you have an alibi? Are the charges against you based on the claims of an unreliable eyewitness? Depending on the facts of your case, your attorney can help you formulate and present a coherent theory of defense.
  • Represent you at trial. Your attorney will work on your behalf to select a jury and present your defense to the jury.
  • Help you make the big decisions required of a criminal defendant. A knowledgeable criminal defense attorney can offer wise counsel, based on experience, to help you make the many strategic decisions you will have to make as your case winds its way through the criminal process.
  • Communicate with your family. Your family will be worried about you. Your criminal defense attorney can serve as an intermediary between you and your family and the criminal justice system, helping to ease their anxiety.

If you or someone you love is currently facing criminal charges give me a call.

954-998-4567

Houson