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Hiring a Henrico County Criminal Lawyer

After getting charged or arrested for a criminal offense in Henrico County, Virginia, the most important next step is consulting with an experienced lawyer to discuss your defense.

Henrico County criminal defense lawyer can guide you through the process of a criminal case and how it proceeds in court. He or she can also help you understand your best options and provide information on potential ramifications to your case. Start building your defense by calling today.

When to Contact an Attorney

You can contact an Henrico County criminal defense attorney after an arrest and processing in front of the magistrate. After the magistrate has formalized the charge against you, you’ll typically be given the opportunity to make a phone call and at that time you can contact an attorney.

The most important thing to be aware of is your right against self-incrimination. You do not have to speak with law enforcement and you have a right to stop speaking and to demand an attorney. Also, understanding what possible penalties you may be facing is incredibly important. Penalties for criminal charges and/or convictions can have long-lasting impact on your personal and professional life.

You need to know exactly what the officers are looking for and/or what claims for information they’re making against you. It’s also very important to understand the information they’re seeking, but also to know if you’ll be provided any leniency and/or immunity for the information you provide to the police.

Before Being Charged With a Criminal Offense in Henrico County

If contacted by police it is imperative to first speak with an attorney. You need to understand what your rights are and by contacting an attorney, you will be protecting yourself from self-incrimination and potential unfair treatment from police officers.

Also, it’s important to understand what punishment or penalties you may be facing, and even more importantly to understand that whatever statements you give can be used against you.

Working With a Private Law Office v. Public Defender

Typically the benefit with using a private attorney is obviously getting to pick your attorney. With Henrico County public defenders they are assigned to you by the court; you don’t get to pick and choose who represents you.

In addition, a private attorney can typically dedicate more time to your specific case. A lot of public defenders in Henrico typically carry very heavy caseloads, so sometimes they can’t provide personalized treatment that a lot of clients are looking for.

Advantages of Working With a Private Law Firm

A private attorney in Henrico County can typically bring you more experience and personal treatment to the case. Most private attorneys have more experience than public defenders or public counsel. The main benefit with hiring an attorney in a law firm versus a solo practitioner is an attorney in the law firm typically has just more of a support system whether that be access to legal assistance, paralegals or just general staff.

Having access to these staff members means that there are more people working on your case, which means you get more efficiency in your case. But also, one of the other benefits of an attorney in a firm is they can bounce their ideas or their strategies off other attorneys they work with and they have, you know, a particular skill or experience that they may  not be able to get elsewhere.

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