When you are accused of a crime, the allegations include a classification of the crime. In criminal law, there are two main classifications and several sub-classes. The two main classes are felony and misdemeanor. Felonies are more serious offenses according to the state whereas misdemeanors are less serious offenses. Generally speaking, felonies are crimes punishable by imprisonment of a year or more, while misdemeanors are crimes punishable by less than a year.

How is My Criminal Case Going to Proceed?

After your have been accused, you will usually be taken into custody although this is not always the case. After the case is brought to the state from the enforcement agency (police, etc.), a prosecutor, initiates the suit. Persons convicted of a crime may be incarcerated, fined, given probation, made to take classes, given community service, etc. The range of punishment is wide. Once the case has been filed and you have been notified or taken into custody, you have your most important decision.

Do I Really Need an Criminal Defense Attorney?

The answer is "no". You can defend yourself. That is your right. If the crime is serious enough, most judges will insist that you either have an attorney or have the court appoint one. This is where you have to understand the basics of law practice.
Have you ever looked in the engine of a car and thought that you understood the basics? Worse yet, have you looked in there and not been able to find the dipstick? Now pretend your car is broken and you need to read all the books to diagnose it, figure out how to fix the problem, purchase the tools to do the work, perform the labor, and then pray you got it right.

That is how the law works. Whether you understand a lot or a little, doing it yourself will cost you more than hiring an attorney for your criminal law case almost every time. Getting a attorney appointed by the court is ok. You will get attorneys with more experience that any other, but you will also get the attorney that has a case load of 200+ cases in many instances. If you can afford it, hire a law firm that can give your case personal attention. Either way, you want to make sure that your case gets individual attention and not just settled like all the others.

The Justice Firm have Criminal Law Attorneys who can help you with your criminal case regardless of what you are accused of.

Call The Justice Firm (435) 986-8386