Millions of Americans are arrested every single year, with countless individuals being accused of crimes of all kinds. Even those who try to live rule-abiding lives can find themselves faced with accusations they weren’t expecting and greeted by cops at the door.
If this happens, the importance of hiring a criminal defense attorney cannot be understated, and you have to act quickly. The longer you wait, the greater the risks become of something going wrong that could harm or even shatter any defense case you might want to build.
As soon as any kind of crime, accident, or incident occurs, the clock starts ticking, and every second you let slip by could have a negative effect on your odds of success. Read on to find out exactly why it’s so important to act fast and get an attorney on your side.
Evidence Can Fade Away
As time goes by, any evidence at the crime scene or accident site may begin to fade away or disappear altogether. That evidence could be used in your favor, helping you build a strong defense, but if you wait too long and let it slip away, you might miss out.
An experienced criminal defense attorney will immediately get to work gathering information and evidence that can be used to argue for your innocence. By hiring a lawyer early, you’ll give them the best shot of gathering key evidence before it slips away.
Making the Most of Your Memories
Just like evidence, your memories of an event can start to fade as time goes by too. The longer you wait, the more likely it will become for you to accidentally forget key details or pieces of information that could help you build your case.
The same goes for witnesses too. Their memories will begin to fade as time goes by, and one of them might hold the key to giving your defense a big boost. Again, hiring an attorney immediately will allow them to get to work, meeting witnesses, and recording your full, detailed statement about what happened.
Getting Advice
Most people don’t have too much experience of dealing with legal cases and can easily feel frightened, panicked, or concerned in situations where arrests are taking place and charges are being filed, but having a lawyer by your side can provide some much-needed peace of mind.
An experienced, qualified lawyer will be able to offer the advice and guidance you need, right from the start of the case, all the way through to its conclusion. They’ll help you make the right decisions, informing you of your options, offering their own recommendations regarding the best course of action, and generally giving your case the best chance of success.
Avoiding Any Mistakes
Be under no doubt – opposing legal teams will be doing all they can to try and catch you out in the immediate aftermath of any incidents or crimes. Arresting officers and anyone else involved in the case may also make attempts to get you to admit responsibility or sign documents.
It’s easy for people to panic when you get charged with a crime and accidentally agree to things without quite understanding them or sign documents without being fully aware of the consequences. An attorney will be able to help you avoid making any mistakes, guiding you through the whole process.
A Level Playing Field
Perhaps the most important thing to bear in mind is that the prosecution legal team will already be building a case against you. They’ll be gathering evidence, developing arguments, and setting out their strategy to get a conviction. If you want to level the playing field and give your defense a chance of going well, it’s vital to hire a lawyer as quickly as possible.
Even if you feel you have a strong case or there is little to no evidence against you, it’s simply unwise to underestimate the risks you could be facing. Reports show that many people are accused and convicted of crimes they didn’t commit on a regular basis, but having a lawyer will help to prevent this from occurring.
Conclusion
All in all, it’s clear to see that heading into any kind of legal case without an attorney on your side can be a recipe for disaster, and the longer you wait, the worse your odds can become. Hiring a lawyer promptly is the first and most important course of action you can take, helping you feel much more confident about your case and giving you the protection you need.