When someone is arrested typically they are frightened or nervous about their future and many are very confused and frustrated about what it truly means to be in the criminal justice system. In my opinion, this should be the time that a person seeks out a qualified Daytona Beach Criminal Defense Attorney to help them deal with this anxiety and aid them in understanding what being in the system really means for them and their future.
However, in my experience I have found that people often delay the all important process of hiring a competent criminal defense attorney. The process is usually delayed due to financial reasons or because psychologically they feel that if they ignore it the case and the problem will go away. Obviously, it will not go away and it is a serious mistake to not hire an attorney immediately to begin the process of building a defense for your case.
I worked as a Prosecutor in two counties in Florida. Because of that experience as a Prosecutor I have a keen sense of the process after you are arrested and bond out of jail. I stress to prospective clients every day in my office that the time frame between your arrest and the first court appearance, typically your arraignment, can be the most critical time in your criminal case. It is during that 2-4 weeks that the Prosecutor is assigned your case file. During this time the Prosecutor reviews the law enforcement officers' reports, witness statements, physical evidence, and anything else that has been provided by the arresting officer. The Prosecutor examines the evidence to determine IF and what to charge you with. There is a major difference between being arrested on a crime and being charged with a crime. Only the State Prosecutor can make the decision to officially charge someone with a crime and prosecute their case in court.
If you choose to not hire an attorney, the Prosecutor assigned to your case will not hear your side of the story and will not hear from your potential defense witnesses. Most importantly, they will not hear arguments from a qualified Daytona Beach Criminal Defense Attorney as to whether or not there are legal issues with the traffic stop on your vehicle, the search of your home or car, or whether the officer failed to properly investigate your case. Simply put, the Prosecutor will make that critical charging decision with absolutely no input from the person that decision affects the most- that person being YOU. You were the one arrested. You are the indivudal that is facing a criminal prosecution. Ultimately it is you that will have to live with a potential criminal conviction, prison sentence, or probationary sentence. It makes absolutely no sense not to immediately hire a qualified Daytona Beach Criminal Lawyer within days after your arrest.
I hope this article helps you understand the urgency in hiring a lawyer as soon as possible. If you are hoping everything will be okay and the system will play out the way you hope you are making a huge mistake and putting your future at risk. If you are delaying hiring an attorney because of financial reasons I would challenge you to put your priorities in place and understand that nothing else should be much more important at this time in your life than your criminal case. It should be worth every penny you have to give yourself the best defense possible in your criminal matter. Contact a Daytona Beach Criminal Defense lawyer the moment you get out of jail.