A criminal attorney should be the first person you call after being arrested. As a citizen of the United States you have rights even if you are suspected of committing a crime. Most police departments are careful to respect these rights but having a criminal attorney on your side is the best way to ensure you get a fair shake.

The area of criminal law is the most challenging for attorneys. Having someone’s freedom at stake can be daunting. When a criminal lawyer is called by someone who has just been arrested the first order of business will be handling the questioning. The attorney will recommend that you answer no questions until they can be present with you and the police for the questioning. Some people may feel that they are innocent so what is the harm in answering the questions and cooperating. The problem is that even innocent people can get caught up in unfortunate circumstances and the police are human and make mistakes. Having an attorney there will ensure you do not answer questions that may incriminate you. Next your criminal lawyer will attend your bond hearing. If the bond is unreasonable, your attorney will petition the court to have your bond reduced. If you cannot afford to pay your full bond a bail bondsmen can get you out for just a fraction of the cost but there will be fees. You may be released on your own recognizance. This is more likely if the crime is not violent, you are employed, you own a home and you are in good standing in your community. Bail is simply an insurance policy that you are forced to pay to ensure your return to court. Once you have gotten through the bail issue it will be time to review whether the prosecutor’s office is going to charge you and what those charges will be. They must charge you within 72 hours but the charges can be changed anytime after. If they want to charge you with a felony, they must present the evidence to a group of citizens called a grand jury. They are convened to decide if felony charges should go forward in a variety of cases. Once you know the nature of the charges against you, your criminal attorney can lay out all your options and beginning preparing your defense. The services of a criminal lawyer when you are in trouble are a critical piece of a defense that ensures you get a fair shake in the system.