WE often get a lot of questions on the site about when one should hire a criminal defense lawyer and what someone should look for when they do go about hiring one. To answer these questions we caught up with the outstanding David Serna attorney who specializes in criminal defense and is widely considered to be the best of the bunch in the state of New Mexico. To answer the first point David says that as soon as you have been charged with a crime, you need to get a criminal defense lawyer on your side, as soon as possible. In terms of what you should be looking for in a criminal defense attorney, here are some of the attributes which David believes to be most important.
Confident With No Guarantees
When you meet with a criminal defense attorney to discuss your case it is vital that they are confident that they can build a solid case but never so confident that they expect to win. Even if an attorney does fully expect to win the case, it is very bad practice for them to say that to you and offer false hope. There are no guarantees in the courtroom because anything can, and usually will, happen.
Strong Reputation
It is important that you find a criminal defense attorney who has a strong reputation amongst their colleagues and others in the law profession. You can find this type of information online and you will be able to see what others are saying about the attorney who you have chosen. A good reputation means that you will be in the safest possible hands.
Realistic
You need to get the best criminal defense attorney for you, not just the best one out there. Every case is different and every person’s requirements are also different. I am sure you’d love to get the best attorney in the US but if you haven’t got the funds or your case isn’t important enough, they just won’t take it. Be realistic in your expectations for the defense lawyer who you are going to select.
Specific Experience
Experience is very important when hiring a criminal defense attorney and you must not only make sure that they have experience, you need to ensure that they have experience in the type of case which you have. Criminal defense attorney is a broad term for a wide range of different branches of the law and so there is no point seeking out a corporate lawyer who is used to dealing with take-overs and mergers, to help you fight a claim relating to assault. Get yourself a specialist who has a history of winning cases like yours if you want the best chances of success.
There will be an urgency to get the right criminal defense lawyer but make sure that you don’t rush into a decision and simply hire the first one.
