Being arrested and facing criminal charges is a scary event in anyone’s life. If you find yourself in the situation of being arrested and facing criminal charges, it will pay off to know exactly what you should do and how you should act ahead of time. Being advised by experienced and skillful criminal solicitors in the early stages of the arrest and charges is one of your best bets to achieving a good outcome for you. Here we detail 4 important factors to consider when you’re facing criminal charges, and what the best actions are for you to take in order to receive the best result.
Talk To A Lawyer
One of the first and most critical steps you should take when facing criminal charges is to recruit the services of an experienced and specialized lawyer in the field of law you need help with. A criminal lawyer can help to advise you on the best actions to take in order to receive the best outcome for you. Talking to a lawyer after being arrested is your legal right, and should be done before things go any further. In the case that you are arrested, the police can call a lawyer for you who can come to your assistance to help you handle the situation.
Agreeing to say things or answer questions without a lawyer present can cause more problems for you in the long term, and so you should always contact a lawyer as the first thing you do after arrest.
Understand You Don’t Have To Say Anything
When facing arrest or criminal charges, it’s important to understand that you don’t have to say anything or answer any questions the police or law enforcement officers ask you. Being arrested can be a stressful time, and agreeing to answer questions could lead to you providing the wrong information. Try to stay calm and don’t resist arrest, but don’t agree to any interviews either. It’s perfectly acceptable to provide your name and other essential details about yourself including your address and if you need any medication, but you don’t need to answer any questions about what happened.
Answering questions soon after being arrested could lead you to say something you don’t mean, and there is no way to take it back once you’ve said it. That’s why it’s better to wait and not say anything until your lawyer arrives.
See If You’ll Be Granted Bail
If the police decide to go ahead and press charges against you, you will be provided with the option to post bail or you may be refused bail. If you have the option to post bail it means that you will be allowed to leave the police station until your court date, however you may have to agree to some bail conditions of what you will and won’t do while on bail.
If you are refused bail, don’t panic. In many cases the court grants bail, so you may be able to leave after a few days when your lawyer makes an application to the court. Being granted bail means that you don’t have to stay in custody up until your court date and you have more freedom and flexibility to present your case to the court.
Choose An Approach That’s Right For You
With the advice of an experienced lawyer, you can identify and choose the right direction and approach to your case in order to accurately present your evidence and achieve the outcome you prefer. A lawyer can advise you whether to plead guilty or not guilty and what it means in each case. Once you have your Court Attendance Notice from the police you will be aware and prepared for your upcoming court case which your lawyer can help prepare you for. If you can’t afford a lawyer, Legal Aid can be provided to help defend your case. While you can defend your own case, using a lawyer can help you get another chance at bail if you are refused the first time.
With these tips you can be prepared to face what is often the overwhelming process of criminal arrest and trial, in order to get the best results and outcome for you.