Criminal defense lawyers deal with the issues surrounding an arrest, criminal investigation, criminal charges, sentencing, appeals, and post-trial issues. He or she is responsible for defending a person who has been accused of committing a crime.
Law enforcement agencies and government prosecutors have extensive resources at their disposal. Without adequate protections for the accused, the balance of power within the justice system would become skewed in favor of the government. As it is, fair treatment for criminal defendants often depends upon the skill of their defense attorney than it does on the substantive protections contained in the law.
States have the power to write their own criminal statutes, so laws vary from state to state. Common offenses include:
- Drunk driving: It is illegal in every state to operate a motor vehicle while intoxicated.
- Drug abuse: The possession, sale, or manufacturing or trafficking of “controlled substances” such as cocaine, narcotics, heroin, methamphetamines is illegal and often charged with harsh penalties.
- Domestic violence: An assault involving domestic violence can be enhanced to a felony in certain cases such as there is an allegation that the perpetrator choked or strangled the accuser during the course of the assault, the State may decide to enhance the charge to a third degree.
- Marijuana: The possession of marijuana persists to be a federal crime. Although various states have various laws on cannabis, some have legalized the possession and cultivation of weed plants while others still don’t have their laws relaxed in this case.
- Sex crimes: Sex crimes include rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse, prostitution, indecent exposure, public lewdness, and more. The punishment the offender faces would include years in prison and expensive fines.
- Burglary: The severity of the punishment usually depends on the value of the property stolen or damaged. There are laws prohibiting crimes like damaging and defacing of properties.
- Probation violations: If a person is convicted of a crime, that person is sentenced. However, they may be released from a prison sentence on probation. If the terms of that probation are allegedly violated, that person may face a separate crime.
- White-collar crimes: White collar crimes generally involve theft by some kind of deception. They could include mail fraud, insurance fraud, credit card fraud, and worthless checks.
- Firearms and weapons: Federal law regulates the importation, manufacture, and distribution of firearms; bans certain firearms such as machine guns and semi-automatic assault weapons; and prohibits the sale of some firearms to restricted classes of people, including convicted felons and juveniles.
Criminal offenses come with hefty fines, lifelong harassments, and severe penalties. Becoming a convicted felon will have a lasting impact on a person’s life. The new jersey criminal defense attorney promises legal guidance and can help in lowering the penalties or dismissing the charges. Criminal defense is a challenging area of law and protecting the rights and interests of defendants requires substantial skills and expertise.
A reliable criminal defense lawyer possesses certain features like:
- Smart attorneys handling faulty defendants with expertise.
- A defense attorney must work extensively to collect evidence and protect them from being manipulated.
- Keeping the client updated about the progress of the case.
- He should have an in-depth knowledge of the individual’s rights and must emphasize on them while dealing with the prosecution.
- His responsibility includes identifying the loopholes in the prosecution’s case and figuring out smart strategies to support the defendant and get his charges dismissed or lowered.
- He must be capable of handling stressful situations. He may need to attend situations and proceedings of the cases at unexpected times.
