The Many Benefits Of Appointing New Jersey Criminal Lawyers

By Laura Brown


It is a popular misconception that arrest is something that happens only to robbers, rapists, murderers and other unsavoury characters. This is not true. Every year thousands of ordinary people are arrested for a wide variety of reasons. They my have made decisions that contravene the law, they may have been stupid enough to drive after drinking or they may have taken a chance on a dicey deal. Whatever the reason, anyone arrested should immediately get help from New Jersey criminal lawyers.

Even the most dangerous criminal is entitled to certain unalienable constitutional rights. One of them is to refrain from answering questions or to make a statement when arrested unless his legal representative is there to guide him. Arresting officers must inform every accused of that right and they are not allowed to put anyone under pressure to make a statement or to say anything whatsoever.

Many accused waive their right to remain silent and agree to make a statement. This can turn out to be a very big mistake as such statements can be used in court at a later stage. Making a statement under conditions of extreme stress and anxiety can easily be extremely incriminating. It is always best to wait until the attorney is present.

Once the attorney has consulted with his client he will do everything within his power to arrange bail. This can often be achieved during private consultations with the arresting authorities or the prosecutor. The alternative is to arrange for the accused to appear in court as quickly as possible. Once the bail amount has been paid, the accused can go free. If he does not have the cash, a bail bondsman can be approached.

There are always conditions attached to bail. If the accused break these conditions, he can be arrested again and will then have to await trial in a cell. This can take months. Conditions routinely forbid the accused to contact any potential witness in the case, to report to a police station regularly and sometimes even to stay within a given distance from his home.

One of the biggest headaches for defence attorneys is clients that hide facts from them, lie to them or do not cooperate fully in all matters related to the case. Accused need to trust their attorneys implicitly, even with information that may be incriminating or embarrassing. Only with all the facts plain and clear can the attorney develop a sensible defence and avoid acute embarrassment in open court.

The justice system is burdened with an enormous backlog of cases. That is why a defence attorney is often able to enter into a plea bargain agreement on behalf of his client. In terms of these agreements the accused often agree to a fine or other lesser sentence in return for a speedy closure of the case. This saves time and the accused will be spared the excessive legal cost of going to court.

One thing is very certain. Any accused that thinks that he can defend himself against criminal charges is making a very big mistake. The legal system is complex and there are numerous pitfalls. The only course of action is to obtain the services of an experienced and reputable defence attorney at once.




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