Mitchell A. Greenberg
When you have been charged with a crime, or even when you think you might be, it is never too soon to speak with a lawyer.
Glen Burnie, MD (PRWEB) September 23, 2016
For most people, being charged with a crime is one of the scariest and most stressful experiences they can imagine. “You feel like your entire life is at stake, and simply being charged can cost you your freedom, family, job and reputation, and that’s before the case even gets to court for trial,” said Mitchell A. Greenberg, founder of LawChampion: The Law Office of Mitchell A. Greenberg. “When you have been charged with a crime, or even when you think you might be, it is never too soon to speak with a lawyer. But how do you find the right lawyer?”
For those who have been charged with a crime, Greenberg shares the following three tips:
No. 1: The lawyer who prepared your will is probably not the one you want for your DUI. “Not all lawyers practice criminal defense and, for your case, you want someone who knows the system and has handled cases like yours,” stresses Greenberg. “Many excellent criminal defense lawyers handle civil cases, but not all civil trial lawyers are competent criminal lawyers. Ask the lawyer how many cases like yours he has handled and if he would be comfortable with yours.”
No. 2: Do not expect your lawyer to agree with everything you say. “Trial lawyers are warriors; we are gladiatorial pit fighters who will find our opponent’s weakness and pound on it,” says Greenberg. “Although the lawyer you ultimately hire should be polite and listen to everything you have to say, do not expect him or her to be fooled by your prevarication, or patient with you repeating yourself a dozen times. In every meeting, he or she is weighing how you would fare as a witness and, because it will be helpful in court, molding you to answer what is asked clearly and concisely.”
No. 3: The local advantage. “This can go either way. Usually, a defendant should try to hire an attorney with experience in the courthouse where the defendant’s case is pending,” concludes Greenberg. “Though the same laws may be in effect throughout a state, procedures vary from one courthouse to another. For example, the prosecutors in one county may have a no-plea-bargaining policy with respect to a certain offense, while the prosecutors in a neighboring county may have no such policy. Or, defense attorneys in one county may know which prosecutors are more likely to plead right before trial, as against those who will negotiate in advance.
“However, especially in smaller areas, you might want a lawyer who does not go to holiday dinner with the judge and prosecutor. Although most minor criminal cases tend to be pretty routine, with the outcome known to all parties in advance, some are contentious and require defense lawyers to attack the State with no holds barred, and to take chances which, although completely ethical, will irritate the prosecutor and, often, the judge. Someone who appears before the same judge and prosecutor four days per week, and has done so for years, may be less willing to engage in such an attack.”
About Mitchell A. Greenberg, LawChampion: The Law Office of Mitchell A. Greenberg, Esq.
Mitchell A. Greenberg is a member of the Federal Bar Association, American Association for Justice, Maryland Association for Justice, American Bar Association, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys Association and is licensed to practice before the state and federal courts in Maryland and DC, and also the US Supreme Court. Practice areas include criminal defense, workers’ compensation, medical malpractice, personal injury and more. For more information, please call (443) 672-8529, or visit http://www.lawchampion.com. The law office is located at 7310 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 704, Glen Burnie, MD 21061.
About the NALA™
The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALA’s mission is to promote a business’ relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361.