How to Find a Good Criminal Defense Lawyer

If you’ve been charged with a criminal offense in Kentucky, or believe you’re being investigated by law enforcement, it can be a life-changing event. Your livelihood, the ability to support yourself and your family and your freedom may be at risk. This is not the time to go it alone. You should at least talk to a criminal defense attorney to see if that’s the right one for you.

You should hire an experienced Kentucky criminal defense attorney to protect your legal rights. Criminal law can be very complex and includes issues such as whether evidence can be used at trial and whether or not your constitutional rights have been infringed upon. Add to that complexity the facts that the criminal justice system works in a certain way and there are procedural rules that apply to criminal trials and pre-trial hearings. If you try to take this on with a ‘do-it-yourself’ approach you could find yourself in a lot of trouble.

The practice of law has become very specialized. Because of the increasing number of attorneys and increasing complexity of the law, most attorneys focus on one or two areas of law. You may find an attorney willing to help you with any legal issue, but how able that attorney may be could be questionable. When it comes to attorneys, you should avoid one that’s a jack of all trades but a master of none. You want an attorney knowledgeable and experienced in criminal law, ideally one with experience with the type of crime you’ve been charged with.

Experience doesn’t just cover the law, procedures and judges. Knowledge of the particular police department or law enforcement agency could be very helpful. Having an attorney with established working relationships with prosecutors may be critical as well. Depending on the facts of the case, your attorney may be able to convince the prosecutor that the evidence against you is so weak the charges should be dropped.

Most criminal cases are resolved through plea bargain agreements because normally neither side wants to run the risk of an ‘all or nothing’ outcome decided by a group of strangers making up the jury. The parties may also want to avoid the time, energy and expense required of a criminal trial. These plea bargains normally involve some give and take between both sides. The defendant agrees to plead guilty to the charges, or to lesser charges, in exchange for an acceptable sentence.

Negotiations require a level of trust by both parties. Retaining an experienced criminal defense attorney means you’re also retaining the attorney’s experience with the prosecution. That experience ideally would include many cases resolved through plea bargain agreements. Failing that, your defense attorney should know how the prosecution will probably approach a trial and will prepare accordingly.

How do you find this attorney? You call our office and schedule a consultation. We will go over the facts of your situation, what laws may be at issue, the strengths and weaknesses of the prosecution’s case and your defenses.

If you have been charged with a criminal charge in Kentucky, or believe you’re being investigated by law enforcement, you need a criminal defense attorney who can protect your rights and your future. Contact us today so you can discuss your situation with one of the attorneys at the Lexington, Kentucky-based Carman Law Firm. As criminal defense attorneys with years of experience, we offer thorough, experienced representation.