How To Hire a Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer
If you are facing federal criminal charges or you are under investigation for a possible federal crime, most definitely you’ll need the services of a federal criminal defense lawyer. Why do you need a federal criminal defense lawyer? Due to the gravity of federal criminal charges, you need a specialist in the field of criminal defense and not just any lawyer. It is the same case when you are suffering from a medical condition. You are most likely to go to a specialist who deals with that specific condition. For example, if you have a tooth problem, you will go to a dentist and not have to our neurosurgeon. You will need the right lawyer to provide legal representation as you battle the charges pressed against you.
Many people find themselves unable to decide on who to hire as a defense lawyer. Some people will engage the first lawyer who will respond to the calls. It is a wrong decision and should be avoided altogether. It is not prudent to hire the services of a person who you have never worked with in the past on the basis of a phone call even if they claim to be experts in criminal law. However, it is your decision as a defendant to make that call. If you make the wrong choice, you will have to bear the consequences of probably losing your freedom and finding yourself behind bars even for a case that you could have easily won. People need to understand some of the considerations this should take into account as they set out to hire a criminal defense attorney. Here are some important factors to consider.
Hiring the right lawyer
The first step towards challenging the charges pressed against you successfully is hiring the right lawyer. You the most qualified attorney when you’re facing a criminal case. For a white-collar criminal investigation, you need to pick an expert in criminal law. Although many good lawyers will not take a case they are not qualified to litigate, some rogue lawyers will take up cases they know little about. You do not want to end up with a DUI lawyer when you are facing a criminal fraud case. It is also essential to pick a lawyer who is familiar with the legal system in the jurisdiction you are charged under. For instance, a lawyer who has litigated a fraud case in Virginia might not be qualified to represent a client for the same fraud case in Delaware. There are over 4,000 federal criminal statutes under the U.S. Justice System, and therefore you will need a lawyer who has dealt with specific statutes that will apply in your case.
Qualifications
As a defendant in a federal criminal case, you need to hire a lawyer with the requisite qualifications to represent you in court. The unfortunate fact is that many lawyers who claim to be successful have reached the point that they are through underhand dealings with their friends in the legal practice, but not for their ability to defend victims. You need to look at the background of a lawyer before hiring them. You should consider factors such as the law school they attended and some of the professional accomplishments they have besides being practitioners of law. In this case, will consider factors such as whether they publish legal materials or teach at institutions of higher education.
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Good communication skills
It is true that any legal practitioner needs to have good oratory skills since they spend most of their time communicating with you and others. You need a person who will be in a position to understand your language and communicate with you bluntly about the evidence adduced by the government. You need to consider a good lawyer as one who can make good oral presentations or has published legal contents, and if he does, the content is relevant.
Cost
Legal proceedings are expensive. If you are facing a white-collar criminal case, a good lawyer will cost a significant amount. If you are not in a position to afford the high cost of hiring a top lawyer, you can consider hiring the services of a federal public defender. By simply googling “federal public defender,” you’ll see some of the lawyers in your jurisdiction who will offer services for free. In some jurisdictions, you can get a pretty decent federal public defender instead of hiring the services of an expensive lawyer who lacks experience in federal criminal defense. However, you should know that public defenders are only hired if you are close to being charged or you have already been charged. If you are under investigation, you do not qualify for services of a public defender.
When facing federal criminal charges, you need to consider that a conviction might lead to a lengthy sentence behind bars. You, therefore, need to do due diligence when choosing your lawyer.