If the state brings criminal charges against you, you might feel tempted to represent yourself instead of hiring an attorney. You might think that you can save some money and get a similar result. There are a few very important reasons why hiring a criminal defense attorney is worth every dollar.
They know the process in and out
Criminal trials are a very complex thing. There are all sorts of filing deadlines, appearance deadlines and formatting requirements involved in filing documents with the court.
Attorneys know exactly what to file, how to write it and when to file it. If you try to do it yourself, there’s a chance you could make a costly mistake.
They have handled similar cases in the past
Your exact situation might not be completely unique. Chances are that your attorney has defended clients in the past with a story very similar to yours. That means that they know which defense strategies work, which ones don’t work and what is worth a try.
They can spot misconduct better than you can
Sometimes, police use interrogation tactics that are unconstitutional. Sometimes prosecutors try to submit evidence that wasn’t properly obtained. Sometimes witnesses present testimony that violates court rules.
Attorneys are trained to spot these types of problems and point them out. If you don’t know what to look for, your whole defense might fall apart thanks to something that an attorney would have objected to.
Even though you’ll have to put together some money to hire an attorney, they’re well worth it. Having a trained professional dedicated to fighting to get you the most favorable sentence possible is a real relief when you’re dealing with the stress of a criminal charge.