What Should I Do if I Am Charged with a Crime?
If you are charged with a crime in South Carolina – regardless of the kind of charge you face – there are certain steps you should take in order to help protect your rights from the start and to help ensure that your case is resolved favorably. While the case against you will be unique to the circumstances involved, one of the most important moves anyone in your difficult situation can take is consulting with an experienced Columbia criminal defense attorney from the start.
Exercise Your Right to Remain Silent
You’ve no doubt heard of your Miranda rights, which include the right to remain silent, and if you have been charged with a crime, now is the time to invoke this right. While you are required to share basic identifying information about yourself with the police, that is where your obligation ends. You have the right to remain silent, and it is in your best interest to not only let the officers know that you won’t be answering any questions but also to actually stop talking. If you continue chatting with the officers, your words are very likely to be used against you.
Invoke Your Right to an Attorney
Another key component of your Miranda rights is your right to an attorney. While the less you say to the police, the better – you should let them know right away that you want professional legal counsel in your corner. After you request an attorney, the officers should stop asking you questions or engaging in any other interview techniques. Even if they don’t, however, you’re well advised to remain silent.
Your Accomplished Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Critical Role
Your seasoned criminal defense lawyer will play a critical role in how your case is resolved. In fact, you can count on your lawyer to ably handle each of the following primary components of your case:
- Skillfully guiding you through the complex legal process with your rights intact.
- Effectively gathering all the available evidence, including anything that the police or the prosecution may be holding back on.
- Building a strong defense that is difficult for the state to disprove.
- Engaging in strategic negotiations with the prosecution – in pursuit of a beneficial plea deal if it’s deemed the best path forward in your unique case.
- Being well prepared to fiercely advocate for your case’s optimal outcome in court.
Never underestimate the degree to which a formidable criminal defense lawyer can help you.
An Experienced Columbia Criminal Defense Lawyer Is on Your Side
Jonathan Harvey at the Law Office of Jonathan M. Harvey is a dedicated Columbia criminal defense attorney who dedicates his imposing practice to skillfully defending his valued clients’ legal rights in focused pursuit of their cases’ best possible results. The outcome of your case is important to your future, so please don’t wait to reach out and contact us online or by phone for more information about what we can do to help you today.