With Help From A Criminal Lawyer Hopewell VA Accused Can Expect Fairness

By Paul King


The very idea that they could be arrested and charged for committing a crime is unthinkable for the vast majority of people. Yet the police arrest many ordinary people every year for a wide variety of reasons. Some failed to pay their taxes, others operated a vehicle whilst under the influence and many others simply made bad decisions or took chances the never should have. At least, with a criminal lawyer Hopewell VA accused can be sure of a fair hearing.

Every accused enjoy certain inalienable rights. They include the right to legal representation and the right to remain silent until an attorney is present. Many people do not exercise these rights because they think that they will be deemed guilty if they do not want to make a statement or answer questions. Legal professionals agree, however, that it is all too easy to jeopardise a case by making statements before receiving legal counselling.

When taking on a case the attorney will at once review the circumstances of the arrest in order to make sure that all the procedures were correctly followed. If this is not the case the charges against his client may be dropped. He will interview his client to clarify the facts and he will review the case docket. He will also advise his client to cooperate with the authorities.

The attorney will also take steps to arrange bail for his client. The courts routinely approve bail if they are convinced that the accused will appear again in court, that he will not meddle in the case and that he will comply with the other conditions. Once the bail amount is paid, the accused are allowed to go free. If he cannot afford the bail amount, the services of a bondsman can be arranged.

The attorney will brief his client on the importance of adhering to the conditions of bail. If he does not do so, he can be arrested again and the second time round it will be very difficult to arrange for bail. The accused will also lose the money he posted as bail and he will face additional criminal charges. Some attorneys will even refuse to continue with a case if their clients breach the bail conditions.

One of the biggest dilemmas facing defence attorneys is a dishonest client. Accused often lie to their attorneys because they feel embarrassed or they worry that the true facts will damage their chances in court. Nothing can be further from the truth. The attorney needs to be in possession of all the facts, even if they are unsavoury. Being fully in the picture is the only way in which a proper defence can be prepared.

In a large number of cases an experienced attorney can save his client a small fortune and lots of time by negotiating a plea bargain. The system allows for accused to plead guilty on a specific charge and to accept the sentence that was negotiated between the attorney and the prosecutor. This is common practice where there is little doubt that the accused is guilty of an offence.

Legal cost can be very steep, especially if a case is heard in court and if many witnesses are called. Despite the cost, however, it is never a good idea to decide to represent oneself. The legal system is simply too complicated and it is very easy to make mistakes that will prove to be detrimental to the defence.




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