Accidents happen in life from time to time. Sometimes these accidents are criminal offenses, and the people responsible for them are arrested and charged. Unfortunately, even if a criminal offense was committed by accident, it can still be enough of a reason to be arrested, and even taken to court.
If you have committed a crime and could get into some trouble, then you need to seek out a criminal defense lawyer’s help. This post will tell you about six situations where a criminal defense lawyer’s help is essential.
Drug Crimes
Despite drugs being looked at a lot more favorably in society today, being arrested for drugs can still result in very severe punishments. If you have been arrested for a drug crime, then you need to get the best legal representation that you possibly can, especially if you live in a state where drug crimes are taken extremely seriously. According to the legal specialists from Ambrose Law Firm, an attorney will be able to handle all levels of a drug crime, from the most serious offenses to the least serious. The reason that it’s important to get drug possession lawyers when you have been arrested for drug offenses is that in some states, even possession of a small number of drugs can result in imprisonment, which will change your life forever. An attorney will be able to aggressively argue on your behalf, reducing your bail amount, and also getting you a community sentence.
Violence
Violence isn’t something that’s taken very lightly in many courthouses in the United States. If you have been involved in a violent crime, then you are going to need to get legal representation. If you try to represent yourself in court, then you can end up messing up your case. People who attempt to represent themselves can come across as arrogant. Very rarely do people self-representing manage to win over the judge and jury. An attorney will be able to present all of your case’s details, ensuring that you get the lowest sentence possible. An attorney can also negotiate a plea deal for you.
Weapons Offenses
Weapon offenses are also taken very seriously. Unfortunately, a lot of Americans take it upon themselves to carry firearms when they don’t have a permit or a license. If you are found to be in possession of a firearm or a deadly weapon and you don’t have a license or a good reason for carrying it, then you will be receiving some kind of punishment. You can either be fined or sent to jail. If you are arrested for weapons offenses, an attorney should be your first point of contact.
Fraud Crimes
Fraud can yield the highest sentences of any offense mentioned on this page so far. If you are charged with a fraud-related offense, then depending on the amount of money that has been stolen or the amount of fraud, you could be looking at a big jail time. An attorney will be able to argue for the lowest sentence possible and also get you a plea deal. A plea deal is when you admit to being guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence. There is absolutely no way of getting yourself a plea deal without an attorney’s help, so you need one for that reason alone.
Harassment
Harassment is an offense that’s becoming a lot more common, especially since it is a crime to harass people on the internet now. If you bother people on social media or make them feel distressed, then you can actually be arrested. Because of this, you need to make sure that you are as careful as possible when you are using the web. You need to avoid doing anything that will be considered harassment. If you are arrested or charged with harassment, then you need to get a lawyer who specializes in that area of law, so that they can form a proper defense for you.
Theft
Theft is becoming a big problem in the United States. In many states, people are released unconditionally without bail if they are arrested for a theft-related offense. However, just because theft isn’t dealt with as strictly today as it once was, that’s not to say that you don’t still need a lawyer if you are arrested and charged with theft. Being arrested for theft can still result in imprisonment, depending on the size of the theft. It is also important to note that robbery is dealt with much more seriously than just theft alone.
Really and truly, if you are ever arrested for anything, you should hire a lawyer. Some offenses, however, can be dealt with by public defenders, and you don’t need to go out and hire a criminal defense lawyer. The crimes listed here are all good reasons to hire your own lawyer.