Finding yourself facing a serious criminal charge can be a frightening situation for anyone to experience. In these situations, a person will need to be informed about the process of defending themselves as well as the potential consequences that a guilty verdict could mean.

There Are Strict Requirements To Have An Attorney Appointed By The Court

The fact that a person has the right to an attorney often leads to individuals thinking that this means it will be easy to have the courts appoint someone to represent them in these matters. While this is an option that the courts can use for individuals that truly lack the financial means to afford an attorney, there are strict requirements concerning those that are eligible for having a public defender appointed to their case. This will involve providing the financial documents that the court needs to verify that you are unable to afford legal representation in your case.

Hiring A Defense Attorney Can Help To Protect Your Rights As A Defendant

Individuals will often assume that they only need an attorney if they are guilty of the charge they are facing. In reality, a person that is innocent can still find themselves facing a guilty verdict along with other consequences if their rights are not protected throughout the proceedings. An attorney will be able to monitor the proceedings and handle the communication for you so that you can be confident your rights as a defendant in the criminal justice system are being protected throughout the proceedings. Due to this benefit, it is important for anyone who is facing a criminal charge or investigation to have a defense attorney to represent them. Without these services, they may find themselves at the mercy of potentially overzealous prosecutors that could violate their rights.

Appeals Are Not Guaranteed

A common mistake for those that are facing criminal charges can be assuming that they will always be granted an appeal in the event of a guilty verdict in their case. In reality, there is no guarantee for an appeal hearing to be granted. Typically, this is only reserved for situations where there was some type of mistake in the lower-court proceedings. As a result of the difficulty of being granted an appeal, individuals will want to be aggressively represented during the initial proceedings so that their rights can be protected throughout the proceedings, and an appropriate appeal filed in the event of a lower court error.

For more information about hiring a criminal lawyer, contact a local law firm near you.