If you’ve ever been charged with a crime, you know how upsetting it can be. The method might be difficult, time-consuming, and confusing. This is just one of the many reasons you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side: we can walk you through the whole process. Today, we’ll focus on your arrest and the charges that will be filed against you. Call Chambers Law Firm at 714-760-4088 for more information or to book a free consultation.
Making an arrest and bringing charges is a two-step process
Following your arrest, the arresting officer will prepare a report. It will include details on the circumstances that led to your arrest. It might include witness statements, crime scene information, and physical evidence. The report is then handed up to a prosecutor. Their job is to figure out whether or not criminal charges will be brought, as well as what those charges will be.
During your initial court appearance, you’ll learn about any formal charges brought against you for the first time. If you’ve been charged with a crime, you’ll have a preliminary hearing during which the prosecution will try to persuade the judge that there is sufficient evidence to go to trial.
It is vital to retain legal representation as soon as feasible
It might take days or even weeks from the time you were arrested until your hearing date. At that point, we can engage with the district attorney to present your side of the story. The goal will be to persuade the prosecutor not to file charges at all, or to seek charges that are less serious than the ones that led to your detention.
If you don’t have legal representation at this point, the prosecutor will simply look at what the officers have to say. The police will almost always recommend that charges be filed. After all, they wouldn’t have detained you if they didn’t believe you should be charged. The officers also want the accusations to stick so they aren’t sued for making an illegal arrest.
If you’re already dealing with the Chambers Law Firm, we can help you by making sure you don’t say anything to them that will be used against you later. Any new developments will be communicated to you. We may begin working on your potential defense right now in order to get the greatest possible outcome.
It’s either now or never to hire a criminal defense attorney
If you’re afraid about being arrested, if you’ve been detained and are awaiting your hearing, or if you’ve already had your hearing and know your charges, it’s time to call Chambers Law Firm. The sooner you begin working with us, the sooner you will feel in control of your life again. Before calling us at 714-760-4088 for a free case review, read some of our case results.
