Consider this situation: You’ve been arrested. You know you’re facing serious consequences but your mind is complicated with so many thoughts that you don’t know what to do. The reality is that though every case is different, one thing is true of every arrest: The accused needs to act quickly to hire a criminal defense attorney. Read on to learn why that is, and what other steps can be taken to protect yourself. Then reach out to Law Office of Michael L. Fell at (949) 585-9055 for a free legal consultation.

A legal professional needs to carefully consider your case

The first thing to do is to call an attorney, who will need to go over every detail of your case. Every hour matters at this stage – and even every minute in some cases. The sooner you have representation, the sooner they can get to work clearing your name. Evidence gets destroyed, memories are lost, and deadlines can be missed if an attorney isn’t involved sooner rather than later.

You have the right to remain silent: Exercise that right

Every criminal suspect has the right to remain silent in front of police or anyone else. You have the right to call an attorney and you have the right to stop answering questions until that attorney is present. If you’re in custody, simply invoke your Fifth- and Sixth-Amendment rights. Even if you’re innocent and had nothing to do with the crime for which you were arrested, or it’s all a misunderstanding, you should remain silent. Doing otherwise could risk accidentally incriminating yourself.

Don’t talk about your case in jail

You should assume that anyone who’s in jail with you will tell the judge everything you say. Even if you believe that your case is over and done with, there are many options your attorney may use for your defense. For example, we may negotiate a plea bargain to get you a reduced charge, we may be able to have evidenced excluded, or we may be able to settle it without jail time. A critical part of any of these deals is that the details of your case don’t change. Don’t discuss your case with cell mates, don’t discuss it within friends or family over the phone – don’t talk to your case to anyone but your attorney.

There’s no substitute for the right legal representation

No matter what you do or don’t do after you’re arrested, the simple fact is that nothing is as important as hiring the right representation for your case. When you’re facing criminal charges, you want an attorney who has experience with the specific charge you’re looking at. For example, if you’re charged with auto burglary, the last thing you want to do is to work with an attorney who strictly handle DUI charges.

Make sure that your attorney has years of experience and that they’re prepared to fight for you however they need to. This is what you can count on from Law Office of Michael L. Fell. Call our offices today at (949) 585-9055 to request your free legal consultation. We are here to help.