What You Need to Know About Criminal Lawyers

You need a criminal lawyer if you are arrested and charged with a felony, misdemeanour or infraction. A felony carries a heavy sentence, where you can even be jailed for life. A misdemeanour, on the other hand, carries a lighter sentence, which is usually less than a year. An infraction may not carry jail time, but you might be required to pay a high fine. Here's what you need to know about criminal lawyers:

Find Out What You Are Being Charged With

This helps you know what kind of criminal lawyer to hire. You may come across criminal lawyers who have expert knowledge of felonies and others who are experts in misdemeanours and infractions. Within these three broad categories of crimes, you may also find several unique crimes. For example, a felony can be a case where you robbed someone with violence and caused an injury. It can also be that you killed another person accidentally or intentionally.

These are two different crimes, but they fall under felonies. If you are arrested and charged with robbery with violence, hire a felony criminal lawyer who is an expert in robbery with violence cases. Likewise, if you are arrested and charged with attempted murder or murder, hire a felony criminal lawyer who has expertise in attempted murder or murder cases.

Criminal Lawyer Success

Find out how many cases the criminal lawyer you want to hire has won, and if they are similar to your case; choose a lawyer who has won most of their previous cases. Of course, the lawyer will sit down with you to discuss your case. Ensure you tell them everything, without hiding any detail or lying; this is crucial in helping your lawyer make a case that they can win. If you lie, omit or hide any information, there is a high probability that you might lose your case, and it won't be your lawyer's fault.

After answering your lawyer's questions and explaining to them what happened, they will be in a position to inform you whether you have a winning chance. If you do not, the lawyer can try to get you the least possible sentence, which, of course, depends on your crime.

Criminal Lawyer Fees

How much you pay will depend on what you are charged with and the lawyer you hire. A felony criminal lawyer is usually more expensive than an infraction or misdemeanour lawyer.

To learn more, reach out to a local criminal lawyer.

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