Sometimes people think that the evidence against them is so overwhelming that there's no reason to fight the charges. Other times, people have no criminal history, what they’re charged with doesn’t seem that serious, and the prosecutor is offering them what seems to be a very good deal. In either circumstance, people might wonder, just what could a criminal defense attorney do, and what can they do for me?

What would a defense attorney do for you if you’re charged with something common, like speeding, for instance?

DO I REALLY NEED A LAWYER?

There are still many things a good attorney can do to reduce costs, or lessen penalties, or find alternatives to jail or community service time. Many people find that they actually spend less money in the long run by hiring an attorney than they would if they hadn’t.

Let’s say you’re stopped for speeding and the police charge you, not just with exceeding the speed limit, but for going so fast you were actually driving recklessly – driving more than 150 miles per hour – a charge that carries with it not just a fine, but the potential for jail time.

Would you know if the plea agreement the prosecutor offered was a fair one? Would you know if the charge and the penalties were appropriate, or even the best offer you could get?

You have the right to see all of the evidence the police collected and the prosecutor will use against you – what’s called the “discovery” in a case. But do you know how to get the discovery? Even if you did get copies of all of that evidence, would you know what it meant?

Would you know if anything was missing?

Would you know how to request the certifications and calibrations for the speedometer or radar that clocked your speed, for example? Would you know if the police officer was qualified to use it, or had used it correctly?

If you went to trial, would you know how to “voir dire,” or interview a potential jury? Would you know what you were allowed to ask and not allowed to ask a potential juror, or how to strike a juror for being biased? Would you know what or how to argue to the judge that the prosecutor was excluding potential jurors in a discriminatory way, what’s known as a “Batson challenge.”

Even if, let’s say, you drove a 1979 Dodge Omni and you had a mechanic willing to testify on your behalf that your car simply could not go as fast as the police said you were driving, would you know how to “subpoena” them for court as a witness? Would you know how to qualify them as an “expert” with the judge? If they took the witness stand and the prosecutor objected, interrupting them every time they tried to speak, saying that they were giving “improper testimony” without “foundation,” would you understand what that meant or what to argue?

Would you know if the prosecutor showed the jury something the jury shouldn’t see? If the prosecutor used statements you made to the police in violation of your Miranda rights or evidence collected illegally against you, would you know? Would you know how to object?

Contact An Experienced Lawyer Near you!

Even though you could represent yourself, that doesn’t mean you should.

No amount of Internet research between now and your next court date is going to teach you everything you need to know – and certainly not as much as a good attorney already knows.