How To Deal With Criminal Accusations
If you have been arrested for a crime, then you are probably panicking. After all, being convicted of a crime can have a terrible impact on your life. Therefore, it is in your best interests to prevent a conviction and to preserve your reputation. In order to do that, you will need a criminal defense attorney.
What is a criminal defense attorney?
You may think that any lawyer who is hired by the defense is a criminal lawyer. However, this isn't necessarily the case. Just because the defendant hires a lawyer doesn't necessarily make the lawyer a criminal defense attorney. In order for that to happen, the case has to be criminal in nature, rather than a part of tort law.
So what's the difference between criminal and tort law?
There are two main categories of law that you are likely to encounter in your life: tort law and criminal law. In tort law, citizens sue other citizens for non-criminal charges such as wrongful deaths or property damage. If one party wronged another, yet the incident doesn't actually fall into the definition of a crime, then the matter will be dealt with through tort law. On the other hand, criminal law deals with the prosecution of various clearly defined crimes.
Why do you need a criminal defense attorney?
Although you can defend yourself without the help of a lawyer, that is not a very good idea. Since you probably don't have the legal knowledge of a lawyer, it would be incredibly difficult for you to effectively defend yourself.
Since you have the right to an attorney, it is in your best interests to exercise that right. If you cannot afford to hire a criminal defense attorney, then the government will provide you with one. However, your best option is to hire a criminal defense attorney yourself. That way, you can find a lawyer that suits your personal needs. While some criminal defense lawyers are incredibly expensive, others are in a much more reasonable price range.
If the financial burden of a lawyer is too heavy, then you should look for a criminal defense lawyer that is willing to work pro bono, which effectively translates to "for the public good." Some criminal defense lawyers will take pro bono cases for reduced rates or even for free. However, even if your lawyer doesn't work pro bono, they might reduce their fees if they successfully defend you in court.