If your loved one or even you are currently facing a serious criminal charge, you might have to require the services of a criminal defense lawyer. There are presently about 2.3 million incarcerated people in the United States. Therefore, for the sake of your freedom, you’ll need to hire a criminal defense lawyer immediately. Also, depending on the legal trouble you’ll be facing, having an experienced criminal defense lawyer will help protect your constitutional liberties.
Here are a few instances and reasons for hiring a DWI defense attorney in Houston.
What You Need to Know About Hiring a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Houston
While it’s impossible to have a lawyer at your place of arrest, you’ll need to ensure that you contact a criminal defense lawyer as soon as you can arrange one, especially after being released from police custody and under a grave criminal allegation. One main benefit of contacting a criminal defense lawyer on time is that they can help you dismiss your criminal charges list before a formal charge is brought against you. Additionally, they can easily negotiate the entitled rights that can earn you a favorable outcome.
Furthermore, a good criminal defense lawyer can serve as a mediator between the aggrieved party and you. For instance, it may be that your incarceration resulted from a flared temper; as such, you’ll need your lawyer to diffuse the tension by approaching the aggrieved party to argue on your behalf. Maybe, they’ll agree to drop those charges leading to your arrest and seek a resolution outside of the court.
When You’ll Need a Criminal Defense Lawyer
Whether you’re guilty of the criminal charge labeled against you or not, fighting this kind of case is always lengthy and traumatizing. For what it’s worth, finding someone who’s ready and experienced enough to fight tooth and nail for your freedom is priceless. The following are some instances where you might have to engage the services of a criminal defense lawyer.
Self-Defense
Usually employed by most criminal lawyers in Houston as a defense strategy against battery and assault charges, self-defense is one of the ways your lawyer can plead your innocence. However, for your criminal defense lawyer to prove that you were really acting in self-defense, you’ve got to prove that:
- There was a perceived fear of intended harm against you
- You were under an imminent threat of harm at that moment
- There wasn’t any way you could have retreated from the situation
- The other party provoked you
Financial Crimes and Fraud Charges
These are theft types where a person or entity collects property or money from a second party for an illicit monetary gain. It’s different from robbery or theft because it usually involves some abuse of trust or form of deceit. Some examples include insurance fraud, wire fraud, and forgery. In criminal law specialization classification, financial and fraud crimes fall under white-collar crime.
Homicide Charges
When a person kills another, a homicide has occurred regardless of the factors necessitating the incident’s occurrence. Nevertheless, not all homicide cases are considered a crime. For instance, a self-defense case resulting in an individual’s death or self-sanctioned execution are homicides that are not crimes. You’ll need to prove the negligence of the accused party or willful intent before a homicide can be considered a crime. When faced with a homicide charge, you might need to employ the services of criminal defense lawyers as soon as possible. Your criminal defense lawyer can plead self-defense or accidental killing to get you out of that charge.
Conclusion
There you have it! The time to hire a Houston criminal defense attorney when you have a criminal charge is immediately. This measure will help you avoid a prolonged legal battle that might end with you imprisoned.
While every crime is defined by the unique circumstances that necessitated it, the case’s outcome can be influenced by hiring a good criminal defense lawyer.
Also read: 4 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Lawyer
