If you are charged with a crime, it is important to hire an Arizona attorney to represent your interests. Even if you’re facing a misdemeanor charge, you could still be sent to jail, have to pay a fine or be subject to other significant penalties if convicted.
An attorney may be able to help you avoid mistakes that could undermine your ability to obtain a favorable determination.
Authorities can make mistakes
There is a chance that a police officer will search your car, backpack or phone even if he or she lacks probable cause to do so. An attorney will likely move to suppress any evidence that is found as a result of an improper search. This may result in, for example, a drug possession case being thrown out before it goes to trial.
If you are charged with driving while impaired, your attorney may also cast doubt upon evidence used to justify taking you into custody. For example, your legal adviser may assert that you had trouble standing during impairment tests because of a medical condition and not because you were drunk.
Has your case received significant media attention?
In the event that your drug possession or DUI case receives significant media attention, you may be asked to make a statement. However, any statements that you make could be used against you at some point during the legal process.
Your legal adviser might make statements on your behalf in an effort to present you in a favorable light to those who may decide your fate if the matter goes to trial. A criminal law attorney might also intervene if media sources publish any information that is inaccurate or that could otherwise jeopardize your ability to obtain a fair trial.
Ideally, you should contact an attorney as soon as you are charged with a crime. Doing so may increase the odds that your rights are respected during an interrogation or while testifying in court.
