If you are caught in the wrong side of the law in New Jersey and face criminal charges against you, it can be a scary experience for you as well as your family. It is normal to feel anxious and lose your ability to think and act. However, please remember that one wrong statement or one wrong move can completely ruin your life.
Whenever you are investigated, the most important thing is to know your constitutional rights. Regardless of whether you are guilty not, there are some rights that you can invoke immediately until you find one of the best criminal lawyers Hackensack NJ to guide you.
In this article, we have covered some useful details to give you a preliminary idea on what you should do when you are investigated.
First things first. When a police officer knocks at your door and demand to search your house or ask questions, you must simply tell them that you need a lawyer. No matter what they ask you, avoid answering anything just believing that your silence may go against you. It is your constitutional right to remain silent until you have your attorney by your side. So make sure you do not get involved in any further conversation.
Many people believe that it is easy to prove themselves innocent by talking to the legal authorities themselves, without the need of a criminal lawyer. This is where they go wrong. Unfortunately, speaking to the police when you have charges against you or allowing them to search your home can be the biggest mistake you can make. It is important to know that they cannot search your house without your permission unless they have a warrant.
During an investigation, the trained officers will ask your tricky question and create situations that force you to speak out. They will try every possible strategy to convince you that you must answer their questions and cooperate with them to save yourself from any penalty and prison.
If you have no prior experience of legal matters and no knowledge of law, you might not be able to handle the questions tactfully. It can be difficult to find out if the police officer is making real promises or just trying to get out information from you. You should not fall into the trap and stay silent until a professional in law tells you what to do.
How a Hackensack Criminal Lawyer Can Help?
A criminal lawyer is experienced handling this type of cases and this is something he does every day. So he knows how to handle the situation in the best possible way without making it worse. To be on the safe side, make sure you hire a lawyer who has years of experience in handling criminal cases, especially the type of charge you are facing.
Before hiring an attorney to represent you, it is important that either you or someone on your behalf does a quick search to ensure that he has the qualification and experience to handle your case. A lawyer who has handled several cases of similar nature will be able to safeguard your rights and negotiate the best on the penalties.
Make sure you go through the customer reviews to see what previous clients have to say about the Hackensack criminal lawyers you are considering. You must also discuss about the lawyer fees (hourly or flat rate) and inquire what will be the extra charges involved.
When you are faced with serious criminal charges, we would suggest that you don’t settle for a cheap inexperienced lawyer because this can cost you several thousand dollars in the long run. Hiring one of the experienced criminal lawyers Hackensack NJ may mean you will have to pay high fees but the case will be resolved faster and you will have lesser penalty.