Criminal Defense Mistakes
Being arrested for a criminal charge can cause a lot of problems and even more questions. New York criminal attorney Carl Spector discusses a few common criminal defense mistakes that should be avoided.
Criminal Defense Mistakes | Defending Yourself in Court
There are probably at least a hundred things a civilian defending himself in court wouldn’t know that an experienced attorney would. The attorney has been to high school, college, three years of law school, and practiced New York criminal law for a career. I’ve been practicing New York criminal law for nearly 30 years and have devoted myself to New York criminal law only—no personal injury or real estate or anything like that.
Unless a non-lawyer has devoted themselves the way I have, it would probably be a bad idea to represent themselves in a criminal case. If you needed heart surgery, would you want to do it yourself? Even the judge knows it’s a horrible idea for someone to represent themselves.
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Criminal Defense Mistakes | Hiring the Wrong Attorney
In the state of New York and the five boroughs (including Rockland, Westchester, and Nassau Counties), the judge expects the person to be represented by an attorney. The worth of that attorney is subject to due diligence by the client. The person needs to find an attorney who is fully versed in New York criminal law, and they will have to consider the charges, the client’s background, and the facts of the case to be an effective advocate for that person. Hiring an attorney is worth it but hiring the wrong attorney can be a costly mistake. Finding the right attorney falls solely on the client.
Criminal Defense Mistakes | Having a Public Defender
There is nothing wrong with having a public defender. Public defenders often do good work and, depending on who they are working with, can be like having any other attorney. However, a private lawyer like myself can devote themselves completely to their clients because of a lighter overall caseload. A public defender takes on many cases, whereas I can be flexible and devote my expertise to my clients on a broad scale.
If you have been arrested and want to avoid all of these common criminal defense mistakes, please contact my office today to schedule a free consultation. Let my hard work and experience work for you.