Criminal Defense Lawyer

If you are ever unsure of your legal rights when you are dealing with a criminal accusation, you should reach out to a criminal defense lawyer. Your criminal defense lawyer is going to be able to help you understand any court order that you were served, any summons, and help you to ensure that you are compliant to any rules placed upon you by that court order or those summons.

It is your constitutional right to have a lawyer, even if you cannot afford to pay for them. This is especially true in a criminal offense case. Some other situations where you may find yourself needing legal representation, can include the termination of your parental rights, if you’re being committed for your mental health against your will, or if a child is in need of assistance (usually this is called a CINA). 

If you have been incarcerated, then you will also be appointed a lawyer when you file civil right lawsuits, and lawyers who are appointed by the court are just as diligent and hard-working as any other lawyer you might hire. The issue and difference between a court-appointed lawyer, who is likely a public defender and a private lawyer, is that the public defender has a lot of people that they are helping at one time and may not have time to just about to your case whereas a private practice attorney picks and chooses who they work for, and does have time to devote solely your case.

For that reason, if you do not want a publicly appointed lawyer, you have a right to request the criminal defense lawyer in West Palm Beach, FL that is from a private practice.

Misdemeanors and felonies are not the same thing; misdemeanors may be considered minor crimes, but they are actually punishable by jail time of up to one year and fines of up to $1000. Felonies such as kidnapping and homicide are going to start where misdemeanors take off – this means that while misdemeanors start off at one year of jail time, a felony is going to start off with one or more years. The maximum sentence for felonies can be five years in prison or a life sentence dependent upon the crime that was done.

The severity of the crime is going to determine the extent and length of the sentence

If the police are investigating and at last you give a statement, you should always ensure that you have a criminal defense lawyer, so that you know your rights are protected. The police are investigating you and likely they are building a case against you, and if you speak to them without a lawyer, then they might be able to obtain enough evidence from you to arrest you and use that statement against you. Your lawyer is going to know the best way to handle a police investigation.