Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyer
Strong Defense for All Types of Criminal Charges
Facing a criminal charge can be both scary and confusing with potential penalties ranging from fines to probation to prison time. It is absolutely essential to know the rights each individual has under United States law in regards to arrests, trials, and sentencing. The value of a legal professional highly educated in Texas laws is invaluable in attaining the case results that are deserved.
Court situations are often where people without representation lose out on rights and privileges due to them simply because they are not aware and prepared. No matter the charges, serious consequences could be the outcome of a case that is not properly defended by an attorney. It is vital that each individual involved in a legal case comprehend their part in the process and fully understand the implications of any criminal charges they have received.
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What Does a Criminal Defense Lawyer Do?
Representing a client who is facing criminal charges of any nature – including misdemeanors and first-time offenses – goes well beyond the typical courtroom drama scenes we’ve all seen on television. In reality, the scope of a criminal defense attorney’s work begins long before the case is ever presented in court, and it often extends beyond this point as well.
At face value, our goal as criminal lawyers is to gain a favorable outcome for our clients. This could mean a not guilty verdict, a case dismissal, reduced charges and sentencing, or one of the lesser-known outcomes such as a plea agreement, deferred finding, or general continuance. To do this, we devote hours upon hours of time to various aspects involved in defending a case, including but not limited to:
Investigating the case and analyzing the evidence. In our initial investigation of the case, we’ll be looking for possible avenues of acquittal. Did the police follow protocol or were the defendant’s Fourth Amendment rights violated? Has the evidence presented been independently tested? For example, we may be able to file a motion to suppress evidence if we find that law enforcement seized evidence without a warrant, pulled over a driver without reasonable suspicion for doing so, or somehow coerced a confession from the defendant. Similarly, if we can prove that evidence is unreliable, inauthentic, or prejudicial, we may be able to get it thrown out.
Hiring investigators and obtaining expert witnesses. At this stage, we have two goals. The first is to hire investigators and expert witnesses to aid in your defense. We’ll be looking for witnesses who are considered to be experts in their field; whose knowledge and insight can be used to both support the defendant’s innocence and rebut / disprove the prosecution’s evidence, thus making their argument less credible. The second is to gather evidence and statements from the prosecution’s lineup of witnesses so we can adequately build a defense around it. This might include finding additional evidence that can be used to discredit the testimony provided by the prosecution’s witnesses.
Providing ongoing communication. While this seems like a given, you may find that working with an inexperienced attorney or an overworked public defender will leave you lacking the information and communication you both need and deserve at this time. That’s not the case at our office. At every stage of the process, you can expect to hear from a member of our criminal defense team either explaining crucial information you’ll need to understand the charges against you or alerting you to developments that have been made in your case. In all circumstances, you can trust that this information will be delivered to you confidentially to protect your best interests.
Participating in jury selection. Building the jury panel that will hear your case is a crucial element of the process. Specifically, we’ll be looking for opportunities to invoke what is known as a “challenge for cause.” This is an attempt to remove a prospective juror if we have reason to believe that their personal background or beliefs may present bias against our defendant; bias that would unduly influence any decision they make in regard to the case.
Preparing the defendant for trial. Just as our legal team must prepare for trial, so too must our defendant. To ensure that you are fully prepared to handle anything that may happen in court, we will personally work with you in the days and weeks leading up to trial. If we determine that giving testimony could help your case, then part of our guidance will include prepping you for your testimonial and role playing what the prosecution’s cross-examination might look like.
So, when asking yourself why you should hire a criminal defense attorney, or when considering using a public defender instead, you must also think about the things you won’t be getting by doing so. Review the list above and instead ask yourself if it’s worth risking these indispensable aspects of your defense. Then call Alband, Lane & Balderrama to schedule a FREE consultation with a Tarrant County criminal defense lawyer from our team.
