We all make mistakes, but some mistakes can be more serious than others. A felony charge can seriously impact your life and even potentially put you behind bars. If you’re trying to fight back a felony case, you’ll need to take the time to really understand the ins and outs of this kind of case.
Whether you’re looking to learn how to get felony charges dropped or just limit the severity of punishment, there’s a lot to get familiar with. While getting charges dropped might be difficult, it does happen and it isn’t impossible.
What do you need to know about fighting these types of criminal charges? Read on and we’ll walk you through what you need to know before your court case.
During Your Arrest
If you want to be able to successfully combat a felony charge, it’s important to get a few things right during the time of your arrest. Mistakes made when an arrest is taking place could potentially make it much more difficult to fight your case later on.
What’s important to remember during this potentially heightened and difficult few minutes?
The most important thing to keep in mind is your right to remain silent. You know the drill, as you’ve heard it a million times in movies and television. ‘You have a right to remain silent, as anything you do or say can be used against you in a court of law…’
In fact, you may have heard this refrain so much that you aren’t taking it seriously. This would be a huge mistake! One of the worst things you can do for your case is to incriminate yourself in some way during your arrest.
It’s best not to deny, argue, or agree with anything law enforcement officials say during the time of your arrest. While it’s important to stay polite and agreeable during this time, that does not mean you need to provide the police with any further information.
No matter what they might tell you, you do have a right to stay silent. You can insist on speaking with an attorney before answering any questions, and the police will have to respect this request.
This will give you time to speak with a felony defense attorney and come up with a plan before having to talk further with law enforcement officials.
Importance of an Attorney
Why do you need an attorney to fight your criminal charges? There are a variety of benefits. First, you’ll need to remember that you have little to no experience in navigating the justice system.
The criminal justice system, and the legal system as a whole, is extremely complicated and extremely formal. Lawyers go to school for many, many years in order to learn how it all works and how best to serve clients who are facing struggles like yours.
The stakes are simply too high when it comes to a felony charge to try and handle your case on your own. You won’t know how to meet the proper deadlines, submit paperwork properly, or follow the traditions of the court, for starters.
More so, you won’t know what is needed to actually fight these charges, and which strategies to employ to get the outcome you want. You may not even be certain what your options actually are.
An experienced attorney will have handled cases just like yours many times in the past. They will understand how to do all of this with relative ease. They will be able to look at the specifics of your case and present you with the potential options you have.
If they think your charges could be dropped, they will explain how to work towards this goal and what your odds are. If they think this will be unlikely, they can walk you through what your remaining options are and how to manage the punishments you might face.
They will remain open and communicative with you throughout the process and can answer any and all questions you might have.
It is not worth going through a felony case without an attorney at your side, and it will not reflect well on you in the eyes of the court.
Be Honest With Your Attorney
Building a proper felony defense can be difficult work. If you want to have a chance at beating your charges, it’s important to be as honest as possible with your attorney.
Remember that your attorney is there to support you and try to help you win your case. You can trust them, and they are not going to turn over any of the information you give them to other sources. The attorney-client relationship is a privileged one, and they can not release this information without your consent.
Without understanding the full extent of your case, your lawyer can’t hope to properly advise you. They might send you down a path that will ultimately fail if you are not giving them all the details that they might need to create a strategy.
You don’t need to tell anyone else this information, not family, friends, or the law. But you do need to share it with your attorney.
Fighting a Felony Case
If you’re looking to win a felony case, you’ll have your work cut out for you. However, it is possible. There’s a lot to learn when it comes to this kind of case and the above information can help provide you with a solid foundation.
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