Should I hire a Criminal Defense Attorney?

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Yes you should, as hiring a criminal defense attorney can make a world of difference for your case.

“You need to thank your attorney. Without her, you would be in a very different position” – a New Jersey Superior Court judge

said to my client after relentingly accepting a pre-negotiated plea I worked out with the prosecutor. The plea covered 50+ charges spread across five indictments all relating to five separate home invasions that took place in the fall of 2015 through the state of New Jersey. Client pleaded guilty to multiple counts of Robbery in the Second Degree, sentenced as Third Degree Crimes and received a sentence of 4 years incarceration.

Magically, I’ve been able to convince the prosecutor to incorporate in the plea agreement jail time credit, backdated to December of 2015. This jail time credit of over 1,700 days, ended up in a sentence time served! Technically, the Client hasn’t spent a single day in custody on any of these New Jersey cases. I’ve also persuaded the prosecutor not to come after my client for restitution, which was north of 100K, in the interests of justice.

Should I Hire Criminal Defense Attorney?

During consultations, the second most frequently asked question is “Should I hire a private lawyer or stay with my public defender?” (the first being- “What will happen to me?”). My answer is always consistent – you should hire a private attorney if you can afford one.

Are Public Defenders Bad Attorneys?

Public defenders are generally very good attorneys – they regularly try cases and are in the courtroom on pretty much a daily basis. The best part- they’re free! The big drawback is that they have a crushing case load. It’s hard to say how many cases each public defender is handling, but I estimate it may be between 40 and 70 at any given time. That’s a very large number of cases to keep track of, and an insane number of people’s lives to have in their hands at once. You may not be getting the individualized attention that your case deserves and may desperately need to get a phenomenal plea offer or a complete acquittal at trial.

How to Select a Private Attorney

During your initial consultation, ask the tough questions – how many cases do you have at once? How much time do you anticipate spending on my case? How available are you on nights, weekends, and holidays, in case I have a case emergency? Have you done similar cases before?

Interview a Few Attorneys

Speak a few attorneys about your case to get multiple insights and see who you vibe with. Figure out pricing. If an attorney quotes you significantly less than others, ask yourself why. This is not the time to bargain shop. The attorney is either underestimating the scope of the work or has limited or no experience in your particular type of case.

Read Reviews

Read the reviews on Avvo, Yelp or Google regarding an attorney. You’ll get a much better sense of who the attorney is after reading the reviews. Select an attorney whose guidance you trust and whose personality you can co-exist with. Selecting an attorney is probably the single most important decision you can make regarding your defense as you will need to rely on your attorney’s expertise and guidance and overall case strategy.

Contact A Top Rated Criminal Defense Attorney Today

You want to be the client whose attorney is complimented by the judge for the outcome of your case. Choose your criminal defense counsel wisely! Contact us today to discuss your case further.