Tips For Hiring A Criminal Law Attorney NJ

By Donald Miller


Nobody ever wants to go to jail, even criminals who have committed serious crimes never want to step foot in prison, unless they are visiting someone. That is why anyone who has been charged with a crime needs to hire the most competent lawyer they can find. The first thing you need to do when looking for the best criminal law attorney NJ has to offer is make a shortlist, then continue narrowing down the search from there.

If you have been arrested in suspicion of having committed a drug offense, a hit a run, sexual offense or an assault, you should hire the best lawyer you can find. This is because you are likely to spend years in jail if you are found guilty of the offense. There are many innocent people who have been convicted, so do not think that just because you are innocent the judge will set you free.

Dismissal of a case before trial is always nice, if you are the defendant. A case can be dismissed on technicalities, or due to a breach of your rights by the arresting authority. When the trial starts, the judge may determine that there is insufficient evidence to convict you and dismiss the case.

You should consider making a guilty plea if there is a lot of irrefutable evidence against you. However, you should only do this through your lawyer, who can negotiate a great deal. The offense in question may come with a 5-year jail term, but you can negotiate a deal that will see you spend at most 2 years in jail with the probability of parole after just one year.

Innocent people can be convicted of serious crimes due to mistaken identity, coincidences and malicious prosecution among other reasons. Since you do not want to wind up in a federal maximum security prison, you should hire a great lawyer to represent you. While guilty suspects require the best lawyers to help them get out of the bind, innocent people need these attorneys even more because they have more to lose.

If you cannot afford to hire a lawyer, you are entitled to a public defender. The court will appoint an attorney to represent you free of charge. However, you may want to ask friends and family to raise some cash to help you hire a great lawyer as well as a private investigator, if they are needed.

The amount of experience a lawyer possesses is a key factor to consider. You want to be represented by a lawyer who has been in the industry for many years and handled hundreds of similar cases successfully. For this reason, you should take your time to check the amount of experience a lawyer has before making a decision.

The hourly rates charged by attorneys differ greatly. You will find top tier lawyers charging tens of thousands of dollars per hour. You will also find lawyers charging a few hundred dollars per hour, but have the same qualifications. To ensure you not only get value for money, but also quality legal representation, it is crucial you compare the qualifications of different attorneys hand in hand with the rates they quote. The most competent lawyers who quote the lowest rates should be given priority consideration.




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