Whether accused of a misdemeanor, felony, or both, it’s never a good idea to defend yourself when charged with a crime. According to Zippia, the nation has more than 7,000 criminal attorneys available to help those facing criminal charges. There are attorneys available to help you navigate the legal maze that often goes with a criminal case. Here’s how a criminal attorney can help defend your rights when accused of one or more crimes.

Challenge Probable Cause

Law enforcement has to have a valid reason to suspect you of a crime to initiate an investigation. For example, if a police officer randomly pulls you over in hopes of catching you doing something wrong, there is no probable cause for doing so. If the traffic stop results in you being charged with a crime, your attorney could challenge the probable cause for the stop and possibly get evidence against you tossed out of court due to a lack of probable cause. An entire case against someone might collapse if an attorney can show there was no probable cause and the defendant’s rights were violated.

Ensure Evidence Was Gathered Legally

Prosecutors need evidence to accuse you of a crime. How evidence is gathered might violate your rights. Experienced criminal attorneys can challenge improperly obtained evidence and file motions to dismiss them when the methods used to gather the evidence violate the defendant's rights. For example, even if you sign a confession saying you committed a particular crime, your attorney might get it tossed out of court if you weren’t read your rights or provided with an interpreter if you don’t speak English.

Ensure You Get a Fair Trial

In our professional experience, a lot of innocent people wind up in prison because they didn’t get a fair trial. A prosecutor might withhold evidence showing your innocence or otherwise handle the case in a manner that violates your legal right to a fair trial. From jury selection to the final verdict, an experienced criminal attorney can ensure your court proceedings are fair and push for dismissal if the prosecutors act unlawfully and trample on your rights while trying to get a conviction in court.

If you are facing one or more criminal charges, you can call Dirk Padgett Law PLLC to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced criminal attorneys. We can review your case, help you build a strong defense, and try to obtain the best possible outcome. We look forward to defending you.