LEGAL BLOG

People shy away from hiring attorneys for many reasons. Sometimes people worry about the expense while others fear an attorney might escalate the situation, making it more contentious than it needs to be. More than a few people feel they can handle the situation themselves. The problem with all of these reasons and others is that they are often unfounded fears and they fail to take into the consideration the extreme consequences of not hiring a criminal defense attorney. There are many benefits of working with an attorney, culminating in the fact that a lawyer is better equipped to keep you out of jail. If you are facing criminal charges, call a Chicago criminal defense attorney for help as soon as possible.

Top 5 Reasons to Hire a Criminal Defense Lawyer

There are more reasons to hire a defense attorney than we can list, but here are the Top 5 reasons for having a lawyer by your side:

1. Legal Knowledge and experience:

   Individuals without any legal training or experience can go through the criminal court process alone, but they will be trying to figure out what to do every step of the way. Prosecutors will always be steps ahead and have the advantage. Instead of trying to learn what you should or need to do while facing a criminal offense, get help from someone who has years of legal training and experience.

2. Analysis of your case:

   Your attorney will speak with you, review the prosecutor’s evidence, and investigate your situation in order to thoroughly analyze your case compared to the law. An experienced criminal defense attorney can give you an honest review of your situation, including your worst and best case scenarios.

3. Seek to have your case dismissed or charges reduced:

   A criminal defense attorney will always look to see if there is any legal basis for having your case dismissed entirely or the charges reduced. You may think there is a strong case against you and your situation is hopeless. A defense attorney will be able to see if that’s true or not.

4. Have certain evidence excluded or included:

   In some cases, prosecutors will have evidence that should be excluded from the case for various reasons. It may have been obtained illegally or by hearsay. A lawyer will motion to have this type of evidence excluded so that it can’t hurt you in court. On the other hand, you lawyer will also work to have evidence that supports your case.

5. Fight for reduced penalties:

   Whether it is through a negotiated plea bargain or during sentencing after a guilty verdict, an experienced criminal defense attorney understands how to argue to the minimum consequences of a conviction. This may include seeking little to no jail through the use of probation or community service.

Contact O’Meara Law

If you have been charged with a crime, don’t make the mistake of thinking you can get through the experience yourself just as well as you would with an attorney. Everyone needs help sometimes, and right now, you need Michael O’Meara, a Chicago criminal defense attorney. When you are facing a permanent criminal record and all of its statutory and social consequences, you need someone dedicated to the law and defending people like you to step up and aggressively fight for your rights and freedom.

Call O’Meara Law at (312) 428-4001 to schedule a consultation.