How to Find a Good Criminal Law Lawyer in Nashville?
After you’ve been arrested and charged with a crime, it is essential to exercise your right to remain silent and to seek legal counsel. For most people, being charged with a crime is an exceptionally stressful and overwhelming experience. A criminal charge can harm your personal and social reputation, and a criminal conviction can result in significant penalties, including fines and incarceration. You need to find a good criminal law lawyer in Nashville.
A conviction also results in a criminal record, which can have lasting effects for the rest of your life. This is why it’s essential to obtain legal defense as quickly as you can. It’s important to review your options, however, and ensure that you choose an effective and dedicated defense attorney. Otherwise, you may spend more than you should on legal services that are not tailored to your needs and fail to defend your case effectively.
If you have been arrested in Nashville, there are several things to consider when looking for a criminal defense lawyer.
Important Things to Consider
As you begin looking for a defense attorney, there are some basic things you want to keep in mind:
- Be sure to understand the charges against you. You need an attorney who has a deep understanding of the type of criminal charges you face and has had success in defending against them.
- Review your finances. Private legal counsel can be expensive, although it is incredibly helpful to safeguard your future. You want to find an attorney whose fees you can afford throughout the entirety of your criminal case.
- Find legal defense you are comfortable with. It is essential that you feel at ease with the criminal defense attorney you work with. Your case is likely to be stressful enough, so it is important to feel that you can be open and honest with an attorney.
How to Find a Good Criminal Law Lawyer in Nashville?
It’s important to know where to look for recommendations for criminal defense attorneys. Beyond using a search engine or other methods to find a strong criminal defense attorney, there are other routes to find a lawyer you can trust. These include:
- Word-of-mouth recommendations. If you know friends and family who have faced similar issues with criminal charges, you may want to ask them for advice regarding criminal defense. It can be helpful to ask people you know and trust, regardless of your knowledge of their criminal history, even if it may be uncomfortable. They may be able to help you find an attorney you can trust, as they trust a lawyer who helped them or someone they knew during a difficult time.
- State and local bar associations. State bar associations will have a list of qualified attorneys in your area, and you can review this to find an attorney who works in the field of criminal law that you need defense in. The state or local bar association is also an effective tool in determining the qualifications of any potential attorney.
- Non-profit and certified private referral services. Certified services and interested non-profit organizations may be able to help you search out or refer you to legal counsel.
Qualities of a Good Defense Attorney
When you find potential attorneys for your criminal defense, obtain a consultation or initial interview to learn more about them. Pay attention to:
- Experience. You want to find an attorney who has years of experience and success in criminal law and the legal system.
- Area of criminal law. Find an attorney with relevant experience to the type of criminal charges you face.
- Local. A local attorney understands how local, state, and federal laws interact and impact your charges. They also have professional relationships with local judges and prosecutors.
- Personable and respectful. You should never feel like an attorney is talking down to you or is impersonal.
FAQs
Q: What Are the Top 3 Things to Do If You Are Arrested?
A: It’s essential to take steps to protect your rights after an arrest. The most important things to remember are:
- Remain calm and polite. Being arrested can be a very emotionally stressful experience. Be sure to stay calm and comply with the arrest. Be respectful, but assert your rights.
- Stay silent. You have the right to remain silent, and you should use it. Even if you think that the things you say to the arresting officers and others involved in the case are beneficial to you, they can often be used against you.
- Exercise your right to an attorney. You should request an attorney and not speak to anyone until an attorney is present. If the officers do not immediately acquiesce, remain silent except to say that you want your attorney.
Q: How Do Criminal Lawyers Help?
A: A criminal defense attorney can significantly benefit your case and give you the greatest chance at avoiding a conviction. If being acquitted or having the charges dropped isn’t possible, an attorney works diligently to limit the severity of the penalties you face.
An attorney gathers evidence, interviews witnesses, works with professionals, and uses all this information to build an effective defense for your case. They work to understand the specifics of your case and arrest to find the ideal defense, which can prevent or lower the charges against you. During your case, your attorney can provide much-needed legal and emotional support.
Q: What Is an Indictment?
A: An indictment is a formal criminal accusation which lists the specific crimes that a defendant is being charged with. An indictment is only necessary for felonies, as misdemeanors are typically filed as criminal complaints. The indictment must include:
- The essential facts of the offense
- The identity of the defendant
- The laws and statutes that were broken
To have evidence for an indictment, the prosecution must have probable cause. An indictment occurs after an investigation into a crime but before a criminal trial.
Q: What Do Defense Attorneys Do?
A: A criminal defense attorney defends their client against criminal charges. The client may be an individual, organization, or corporation charged with a criminal offense. A defense attorney typically works from the arrest to a negotiated plea deal, dropped charges, or the appeals process after a conviction.
An attorney also:
- Provides legal counsel
- Investigates the crime and arrest
- Interviews eyewitnesses or professional witnesses
- Builds an effective defense based on the unique issues present in the case
Contact a Qualified Nashville Criminal Defense Attorney
Patrick McNally has experience in several areas of criminal law. McNally Law is proud to represent those facing criminal charges with a strong defense and dedicated legal care. Contact us today.
