how to choose a criminal defense attorney

by Joana Marks 8 min read

6 Steps to Choosing a Criminal Defense Attorney

  1. Determine Your Legal Needs. First of all, no matter how minor your criminal charge is, seeking legal advice is imperative. ...
  2. Federal Attorney vs. State Attorney. ...
  3. Search for Specialized Criminal Defense Attorneys. Most lawyers concentrate their practice in specific areas of defense. ...
  4. Determine What’s Important. ...
  5. Do Research. ...
  6. Schedule a Consultation. ...

Full Answer

Who are the best criminal defense attorneys?

Sep 16, 2021 · Negotiating a settlement and making an argument in the courtroom must come naturally to them. Choose the one who is transparent about the progress of your case. #4 Hire Someone with Accessibility & Responsiveness. The lawyer you choose must make themselves readily available throughout the case.

What you can expect from the best criminal defense lawyer?

Feb 24, 2019 · Choose a lawyer who has a specialty in law. You must get a lawyer who has good knowledge in criminal law, he or she should be aware of the laws as well as the practices that are relevant to your specific case. You should also focus on finding a lawyer who has experience in situations similar to yours.

Who are the top rated criminal law lawyers?

May 03, 2021 · My suggestion would be to start with experience. When faced with the uncertainty of a criminal charge, you want to make sure you hire an advocate that has been where you are before with other clients. Experience is a must and the first place to …

What is the average cost of a criminal defense attorney?

Put your trust in a federal criminal defense attorney in Tampa, FL with a 5-Star rating who has the expertise, skill, and commitment to get the best possible outcome for you. Drug Defense Lawyer in Tampa. ... Choosing the right defense attorney for gun charges should be a top concern. Attorney Michael Petro has of experience defending those who ...

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What should I look for when hiring a criminal defense attorney?

What To Look for in a Criminal Defense Lawyer1) They have a good amount of experience. ... 2) They have referrals. ... 3) They specialize in criminal law. ... 4) They know the law well. ... 5) They have local court connections. ... 6) They are responsive and proactive. ... 7) They are confident in their abilities. ... 8) They are clear about their fees.

What you can expect from the best criminal defense lawyer?

What You Can Expect From A Good Criminal Defense AttorneyConsistent Confidential Communication. When it comes to choosing the best criminal lawyer for you, they need to know how to communicate effectively from start to finish. ... Proven Experience. ... Transferable Skills. ... Excellent References. ... Confidence.Jun 15, 2021

How do you know if you have a good criminal attorney?

A good criminal defense lawyer should be able to explain your legal rights and the charges against you in terms that you understand. He should understand the legal requirements the state must prove to obtain a conviction. He should also understand the rules of evidence and the rules of court.

What qualities make a good defense attorney?

10 Must Have Personality Traits Of A Good Criminal Defense LawyerKnowledge. The more serious the crime, the more careful you must choose. ... Confidentiality. ... Negotiation Skills. ... Perseverance. ... Aggressiveness. ... Communication Skills. ... Commitment. ... Integrity.More items...•Sep 15, 2021

What is the most common punishment?

The 5 Most Common Forms of PunishmentYelling – scolding, name calling, demanding.Withdrawing or Withholding – taking away privileges which may or may not have anything to do with their unacceptable behavior.Using “Logical Consequences” – i.e. if the child is late for dinner, they are made to go without eating.More items...

Can a lawyer refuse to defend a client?

Rule 2.01 - A lawyer shall not reject, except for valid reasons, the cause of the defenseless or the oppressed. Rule 2.02 - In such cases, even if the lawyer does not accept a case, he shall not refuse to render legal advice to the person concerned if only to the extent necessary to safeguard the latter's rights.

What can a good criminal lawyer do?

Top criminal justice lawyers are trained to analyze cases and evidence for weaknesses, errors, and potential crime defense strategies that can be used to argue for case dismissal, reduction of charges, or even preventing a case from being filed.

What personality traits do you need to be an attorney?

Below are ten traits that are common to the best lawyers in the United States.Passion for the Job. ... Compassion for Clients. ... Great Communication Skills. ... Willingness to Listen. ... Knowledge of the Law. ... Strong Writing Ability. ... Creativity. ... Good Judgment.More items...•Jun 17, 2019

What are the 4 characteristics of good law?

Known to the public.Acceptable in the community.Able to be enforced.Stable.Able to be changed.Applied consistently.Able to resolve disputes.

Who is Michael A. Hubbell?

Michael’s skill and experience have been recognized repeatedly. He holds an A-V 5/5 preeminent rating by Martindale Hubbell. He has been named one of the top lawyers in Arizona by Southwest Superlawyers, and one of the best lawyers in Tucson by Tucson Lifestyle Magazine. He also has been named one of the best lawyers in the United States by BestofUS.com , and given the highest rating possible by AVVO, 10/10 Superb. Amazon Books

Do criminal defense attorneys work as prosecutors?

While there are many fine criminal defense attorneys who never worked as prosecutors, and a few who never practiced criminal law in the public sector, prior experience as a prosecutor, even for a short time, can give a criminal defense lawyer a perspective some of his colleagues may not have garnered.

Choosing an Experienced Defense Attorney

Which leads to the point of this blog entry. How to choose an attorney? My suggestion would be to start with experience. When faced with the uncertainty of a criminal charge, you want to make sure you hire an advocate that has been where you are before with other clients.

Attorney with Trial Experience

Most cases will settle and will not end in trial, but you want to make sure that the attorney you choose, has the skill to try a case and more importantly that the government is aware of that fact. Likening a negotiation to poker, you cannot play the game, unless you have the ability to go all in.

The Right Personality to Negotiate

Lastly, keep in mind that most cases settle. Meaning that the attorney you choose should be personable. It’s a must that you sit down with them and use the skills that you have gained your entire life to assess if this is the man or woman you want to send in to advocate on your behalf.

Initial Case Evaluation

I will not take on every case that comes into the office. If a client does not understand the dynamic that must exist between client and attorney in order to be successful, I will not enter into that relationship.

St. Petersburg Florida Criminal Defense Attorneys Can Help

Preparing a proper defense can be key to receiving the best possible outcome. Hiring a criminal defense Attorney is an important step in protecting your rights and pulling together your case, especially as the government is doing the same.

Locate a St. Petersburg Criminal Defense Attorney in FL Now

You will want an experienced criminal defense Attorney that is familiar with the crimes you have been charged with. With this experience comes knowledge, like whether you will be charged with a felony or a misdemeanor, or whether you will be charged as an adult or a minor.

Life in St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, Florida is the fourth largest city in the state of Florida, and a popular vacation destination for both domestic and international tourists. St. Petersburg is the second largest city in the Tampa Bay area, and home to just under 250,000 residents.

Are you facing criminal charges?

The average person simple cannot understand criminal law in its entirety. The criminal defense attorney you hire must be familiar with federal, state, and local rules of the court, and have the necessary skills needed to defend your case.

Need an attorney in Tampa, FL?

Find the right attorney by reviewing and comparing our profiles of lawyers and their law firms, with details on each attorney and their colleague’s practice, experience, education, training, honors and fee structure. Carefully consider client reviews and recommendations from people just like you.

Get a Former Prosecutor on Your Side!

The Law Office of Timothy Hessinger has the unique advantage of having a powerful and skilled former prosecutor to serve our clients. Tim Hessinger spent 15 years at the State Attorney's Office prosecuting criminal cases.

Aggressive Legal Representation

Over the years, our firm has effectively defended hundreds of clients with their criminal offenses. If a warrant is out for your arrest, the first step you should take is to contact a member of our firm. It is important that you have a strong legal advocate on your side.

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Introduction

  • For those of you who are charged with crimes, many say that the single most important decision you will make is which criminal defense lawyer to hire. And it’s true: the choice of criminal defense lawyer can be critical to the outcome. Because there are thousands of criminal defense lawyers (10% of all law school graduates will practice criminal law at some point), many adverti…
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How’d They Fare in Law School

  • As of 2014 the American Bar Association listed 205 “accredited” law schools. And US News and World Report, and other publications, rank almost all the those schools annually, although these rankings change from year to year (and it’s not always quite clear what the precise factors are for the exact ranking and why it changes). While there are many good lawyers who graduated from …
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Law School Honors and Grades

  • Of course, law schools not only getranked: they do their own ranking, as well. Almost all law schools ( less a few notable exceptions like Boalt Hall) rank all their students from top to bottom. And do so right from the first semester on. While many good lawyers emerge from the bottom quartile of their class, some do not. Note that law school student class rankings (a fitting introdu…
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Law Review & Other Law School Awards & Honors

  • One thing that is true about all lawyers that I mentioned above: They all have to know how to write. No matter what they do in law, a lawyer writes every day. And this is particularly true of criminal defense lawyers, where the outcome of a case can depend on the quality of their legal writing and analysis. My Publications Fortunately, law students, as tradition stands, have several golden an…
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Professional Awards & Honors

  • Every few weeks or so it seems, I get a new unsolicited solicitation from an organization with the word “National” in it, but that I’ve never heard of, telling me that I’ve been “selected” as a “top lawyer” for a special national listing (the address of the organizations are for some reason in places like “Dothan, Alabama”). But it’s not automatic: For a small annual fee, I am told I can be li…
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Martindale Hubbell Ratings & Best Lawyers

  • The Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, recognized as a benchmark, has been published annually in the United States since 1931 (the predecessor known as the Martindale Directory was first published in 1868). Martindale-Hubbell, as part of its listing service, attempts to rate, with some exceptions, the large majority of private sector attorneys in the United States who have been pra…
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Former Prosecutors & Other Public Servants

  • Almost all successful private criminal defense attorneys started their careers, or at least worked early in them, at either a prosecutor’s or public defender’s office. Such training, especially in formative years, is invaluable and largely irreplaceable. While there are many fine criminal defense attorneys who never worked as prosecutors, and a few who never practiced criminal law in the p…
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Good People Are Busy People

  • One of my graduate school teachers, a model of frenetic efficiency, who served simultaneously as editor-in-chief of an important academic journal, while also teaching graduate courses full-time, once said to me: “If you want to get something done, ask a busy person.” And it’s true: Busy people, especially in the world of private sector law, are busy because they are in demand. Dema…
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The Special Bond Between The Lawyer and His Client

  • We see people in some of the worst moments in their lives. Being charged criminally is a terrifying experience; it changes lives irrevocably: Entire careers are ruined, long-standing marriages fall apart, people with no prior criminal records go to jail or sometimes prison. Clients look, and rightfully so, to their criminal defense attorney as someone who can save them. As such, all suc…
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Does The Lawyer Like (or Love) His Job?

  • Finally, one more attribute that’s worth mentioning ( but which is sometimes overlooked): almost all really good criminal defense attorneys Love their job. Not just like. But Love. There’s easier ways, they say, to make a living in law than as a criminal defense attorney. Many consider criminal defense not only one of the most stressful professions in law, but one of the most stressful prof…
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