ARTICLES

The Importance of a Criminal Defense Attorney

SINCE 1983

SPEAK WITH IMMEDIATE CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

The Importance of a Criminal Defense Attorney. Law Offices of Patricia Hattersley - Immediate Juvenile Criminal Defense Attorney Pasadena Since 1983 Criminal Defense Attorney Ray Fountain Call 626-415-3737 Free Telephone Consultation

The criminal justice system has many players, each with specific roles. The prosecutor’s goal is to enforce the laws by convicting offenders and ensuring they are sentenced to certain penalties.

The judge is supposed to serve as a neutral decision-maker while the defense attorney is the individual who protects the rights of the defendant.

Under United States law, all defendants have important rights, including:

The right against unreasonable searches and seizures

The right to remain silent

The right to reasonable bail

The right against double jeopardy

The right to a speedy trial

The right to a jury trial (in most cases)

The right to examine witnesses

Pasasdena Los Angeles Crimina Defense Attorney Ray Fountain and Patricia Hattersley IMMEDIATE JUVENILE DEFENSE ATTORNEY

The right against cruel and unusual punishment

The right to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty

One of a defendant’s most important rights is that to legal representation under the Sixth Amendment.

The law does not require a defense attorney, but neither police nor prosecutors may deny representation to any defendant who chooses to invoke this right.

SIXTH AMENDMENT

The Sixth Amendment guarantees the rights of criminal defendants, including the right to a public trial without unnecessary delay, the right to a lawyer, the right to an impartial jury, and the right to know who your accusers are and the nature of the charges and evidence against you. It has been most visibly tested in a series of cases involving terrorism, but much more often figures in cases that involve jury selection or the protection of witnesses, including victims of sex crimes as well as witnesses in need of protection from retaliation.

ROLE OF A CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY

Defense attorneys serve many purposes and can often greatly improve the outcome of a case. Immediate Criminal Defense Attorneys work to ensure that courts do not wrongfully convict defendants or impose excessive sentences for convictions. A defense attorney will work to protect your rights throughout a case by:

Being present during police interviews and interrogations

Arguing in court to reduce your bail to a fair amount

Advising you about your options of how to plead and the implications of a guilty plea

Interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence regarding the allegations

Closely examining the circumstances of any searches by police and of your arrest to identify any Fourth Amendment violations

Examining the results of any chemical tests (common in DUI and drug-related cases) and ensuring the police or forensic lab technicians did not make any errors

Determining which legal defenses may apply in your case

Representing you at all scheduled court hearings

Discussing the possibility of a plea bargain with the prosecutor, which may involve agreeing to plead guilty to lesser charges or to receive a lesser sentence

Helping you decide whether to plead guilty or take your case to trial

Representing you at a jury trial

If you are convicted, representing you at sentencing and arguing for a fair sentence

The above-mentioned are some of the many ways that criminal defense lawyers commit themselves to protect the rights of their clients.

LET OUR PASADENA IMMEDIATE CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAW FIRM ASSIST YOU

Protect your rights as a criminal defendant. The Immediate Juvenile Defense Law Offices of Patricia Hattersley in Pasadena, California are here to assist you every step of the way.

To discuss your case immediately, please call and speak with

LOS ANGELES - PASADENA IMMEDIATE CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEYS

626-415-3737 or contact us - free case review with Criminal Defense Attorney.