Criminal Defense

No matter what you are accused of, you have a right to challenge that accusation and are entitled to counsel to assist you in your defense.   It does not matter what anyone thinks of you because of the accusation, your defense attorney is on your side as if he is accused along with you.   He is your advocate and will work hard to get the best possible outcome for you and to ensure that the justice system is fair to you.  

A good defense looks different every time - defending those accused of a crime is an art, not a science.   The tasks that an attorney does to defend an accused are too numerous to discuss in an article, but include both legal and factual research, analysis of your case, and strategic formulation.  You play an important role in your defense also. 

Your attorney will partner with you in defense of the accusation against you.   It is important to be honest with your attorney and you should want and expect your attorney to be honest with you and not just tell you what you want to hear.   Your attorney will make strategic decisions about how to defend your case - so it is important that you are comfortable with him or her.  If you are not, then you should seek to get a different attorney, this is your freedom that is on the line.

There are a few decisions that your attorney can advise you on, but that you are entitled to make on your own.  They include:

* Whether to ultimately plead guilty or nolo contendre or Not Guilty

*  Whether you would like a Jury Trial or to be tried by the Judge (Subject to agreement from the other side)

* If found guilty whether you would like to go to the Jury or the Judge for punishment.

*  Whether to testify in your own defense or to assert your 5th amendment privilege not to

The decision on who to hire to defend you when you have been accused of a crime is a very important decision.  I advise you to meet face to face with any attorney that you are considering hiring to defend you and to make sure that you are comfortable with that person.

If you or a loved one have been accused of a crime and would like to visit about the defense of that case, then feel free to call or text and set up a time to discuss your case with Rich.