Why You Should Not Face Felony Charges Without Legal Representation

One of the most challenging experiences you might have to go through is being charged with a felony. Felony charges can be life-altering because once you are convicted, it means you might have to pay heavy fines for the crime, do community services, and, in most cases, serve time behind bars. There are also other life-long consequences of felonies, including losing your driving license, losing professional licensure, and all the other complications that result from spending long periods while incarcerated.

Therefore, it is always advisable to have legal representation when tackling felony charges. If you cannot afford a lawyer, the state tries to assign you a public defender. Here are the reasons why you should not handle your criminal charges without a felony lawyer.

They Have Knowledge on How the Legal System Works

If you have never been arrested, prosecuted, and charged before, you might have little or no knowledge about the process. As a result, you might end up saying or doing things that will incriminate you further and ruin your chances at freedom. For instance, if you don't understand how your evidence looks, you will not know how to plea when your charges are read to you.

You might end up pleading guilty when you have a good chance of proving your innocence and having the charges dropped. You might also plead innocent and get into a case where the evidence against you will overwhelm you.

They Know How to Cut Deals With the DA

The legal system is complicated, and it needs people who have worked in it for a while to help you navigate the tricky situations. Lawyers understand the desires of the district attorney, the prosecutions office, and all other stakeholders in the criminal justice system.

If you are being charged with a crime like possession with intent to distribute, they can make a plea bargain for you where you do community service and help the police investigate other players.

They Train You How to Present Yourself to the Jury

Criminal justice is made tougher by the fact that in addition to dealing with the judge, you have to convince the jury of your innocence. Lawyers are experts in legal situation analysis. They can tell how the jury is likely to vote and figure out ways to sway them in your favor.

These are advantages that the person with a felony lawyer will have over one without a lawyer when handling felonies. Choose an experienced lawyer to help you manage your criminal case from the start to the end. 

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