In most cases, it is not enough to simply call your family-friend who happens to be a lawyer when you are arrested or facing charges. When choosing a criminal defense attorney, the areas of expertise that a lawyer has are extremely important in deciding on who will be your legal counsel. Simply put, calling your friend who is a tax attorney, will not be much help if you are facing a DWI. The Buffalo NY criminal attorney you choose should have court experience with the charges you are facing and a positive reputation of favorable outcomes for their clients.

Legal Review

Your attorney should complete a review of the charges you are facing before giving any sort of legal advice. The review your attorney will perform should include a concrete understanding of the charges you are facing, and what events transpired in detail, for the charges to be reasonably filed. This information will come from the evidence provided from the prosecution, including police reports and statements.

Upon performing a legal review of the facts of the case, your attorney can then begin to gather evidence and documents from you, the defendant, to view the charges objectively from both sides. An experienced defense attorney will be able to glean information from the review that will show possible weaknesses in the charges or failures in protocols from the way the charges were filed to how the arrest was made.

A critical part of reviewing your criminal charges is understanding the perspective of the prosecution. As a defense attorney, if you have spent time as a prosecutor, you have a deeper understanding of both perspectives and the weaknesses in a prosecution's charges. Attorney Dan DuBois did just that early in his law career as an assistant district attorney in WNY, before changing course to represent clients he felt needed better representation.

Honest Legal Counsel

If an “attorney” has made you a promise to get your charges dismissed after never meeting you or without having a complete knowledge of the charges, run. As we discussed in a previous blog “judges and juries decide the outcome of cases when they go to trial.” This statement should be amended—many cases do end in a plea deal, which often is the most favorable outcome for both sides, which includes the defense.

Honesty is important for both the client and the attorney. At DuBois Law, you will never receive a sugarcoated explanation of what is happening with your case. This is damaging to the relationship of the client and attorney and creates unrealistic expectations for the outcome. Dubois Law will provide legal advice on what your best options are and how your charges can be best defended in court, this includes advice on plea deal offers.

Advice from your attorney to accept a plea deal does not mean your attorney is not advocating for you, in fact, the opposite is usually true. When the prosecution and defense discuss a plea deal, it is often the most favorable possible outcome for the defense, and an experienced defense attorney will be able to recognize a good plea deal from a bad plea deal. Again, the relationship is built upon trust.

Do Your Research

If you need a respected and trusted criminal defense attorney in Buffalo NY, understanding who you are hiring to represent you can be challenging, but if you do your research, you will find the right attorney. At DuBois Law, we welcome you to do your research, investigate our practice and our results. You will find an exemplary track record as a defense attorney that extends back two decades. You will discover news stories from independent journalists reporting on the results of the cases fought and won by DuBois Law. Get the legal advice, counsel, and representation you need. Contact DuBois Law for a consultation or leave your information here. We can help you decide which course of action will serve your best interests.