Criminal Cases for Which You Need a Criminal Defense Attorney
A criminal defense attorney serves to protect your rights in a number of different criminal charges and criminal cases. You should never attempt to navigate the criminal justice system on your own, even if you know enough about the law and the system to do so. For everyone else that has no prior history and no arrests or pending charges, here are some criminal cases where it is vital that you hire a lawyer to defend you or request that one be appointed to you.
Homicide
More than one murder investigation and criminal conviction has gone sideways. Innocent people find themselves behind bars and wondering what happened. If they refused a lawyer and ended up in prison, it is not surprising that they are there instead of walking free. One trip-up during a police interrogation or one fingerprint you cannot explain creates unfavorable doubt and a criminal conviction when you do not have a lawyer present to explain it away.
Attempted Suicide
Suicide is a crime. If you are rescued before you complete your suicide, you can be charged for this crime. In most cases, you could receive some time in a mental health institution, but you could also be sequestered in prison depending on the state. A criminal lawyer can argue that you need the former and not the latter and even barter a deal to have you monitored until a psychiatrist deems that you are no longer a threat to yourself.
Kidnapping or Abduction
People get these two criminal charges confused. They both involve taking someone against his or her will. The difference however, is that kidnapping involves taking a child, while abduction involves taking an adult. Kidnapping charges also include taking your own child and leaving the state without telling the child's other parent that you are leaving. You may have your reasons for doing either, but the law still sees it as a crime. Your lawyer can help show why you did what you did and argue for a lighter sentence.
Torture
There is a fine line between torture and intimate games. However, the person receiving the pain may not have asked for it and begged to be let go. If you refused, you did indeed torture that person. If your charges head into a gray area, only your lawyer can make it black and white for the courts.
If you've been charged with any of the above crimes, be sure to speak with a law firm like Abom & Kutulakis LLP about representation.