Reasons You May Need A Criminal Defense Attorney

When an individual has been charged with a crime, a criminal defense attorney will be one of the most important people to call. Being charged with a crime, whether a person is guilty of the offense or not, is a scary experience. The average citizen doesn't know much about how the court system works or what ramifications there will be for being accused of various crimes. He or she may not know what to say or do and may become paralyzed with fear or say way too much and accidentally incriminate themselves. That's why making a call to a competent legal defender is crucial.

Common crimes that individuals are charged with:

- DUI: Drinking and driving will likely end up in a DUI charge. DUI stands for driving under the influence. A person may have just had a couple of beers and had no idea he or she was over the legal limit of alcohol consumption. Unfortunately, failing sobriety tests can lead to serious ramifications, including the loss of jail time and license to drive. A savvy lawyer will be able to go through the evidence with a fine tooth comb and protect the motorist to the best of his or her ability.

- Theft: Some people are charged with theft when they've accidently taken something. This may be in the case of shopping and absent-mindedly forgetting to pay for an item. It can be forgetting to return a DVD to a rental company or taking office supplies home from the office by mistake. Once the accusation has been made and the police show up to make the charges, big trouble has started and a good lawyer must be brought onto the case pronto.

- Juvenile offenses: Parents of adolescents may find the police at their door looking for their son or daughter. We all know that adolescence is a time of angst and rebellion for kids. Unfortunately, sometimes teens do stupid things because of peer pressure or immaturity that can have serious repercussions. When a parent of a teen has this nightmare occur, he or she will want to engage a good criminal defense attorney who has had experience with this age group. The kid should get into some trouble if they did something illegal and foolish, but having one's whole life ruined because of a dumb move is not in anyone's best interest.

- Fraud charges: Sometimes a person makes a mistake with paperwork such as taxes, bankruptcy filings, or insurance claims. While he or she didn't realize an omission of facts was a huge deal, it may, in fact, land them in the slammer charged with fraud. This is a serious charge and requires a competent lawyer on one's side to clear the problem away.

Having a knowledgeable and experienced criminal defense attorney can mean the difference between going to jail and remaining free. Finding a savvy lawyer is imperative and the sooner the better. This may be the most important phone call a person ever makes.