When charged with a crime, the consequences can cost you your freedom if you cannot represent your case well in the court of law. That is why you must work with the best criminal defense lawyer. But you have to remember that lawyers specialize in various fields of criminal law. So before you hire an attorney, you might want to know a little bit more about what you should expect from this professional relationship.
Misdemeanor vs. Criminal Charges
Criminal lawyer singapore represents an individual if they are charged with criminal law, whether it’s a misdemeanor or felony. You must know how to differentiate these two categories to understand how serious your case is.
- Misdemeanor charges are less serious compared to felony charges. When found guilty, it can result in you paying a fine and less than a year of imprisonment. Misdemeanor charges include petty theft, public intoxication, simple assault, trespass, reckless driving, vandalism, possession of marijuana, prostitution, etc.
- The felony charges, on the other hand, are more serious. These charges include murder, rape, treason, kidnapping, robbery or burglary, grand theft, and so on. If found guilty, it can result in being in prison for more than a year, and worse, you face the death penalty.
Do You Need a Criminal Lawyer?
How will you know if you need a criminal lawyer? Misdemeanor and felonies charges can both make a person end up in a prison sentence. You should consult a lawyer once you are charged with a misdemeanor or felonies. Criminal defense lawyers have the knowledge, education, skills, and experience in handling such cases.
Criminal Defense Lawyer – What To Expect?
When hiring a criminal defense lawyer, you should expect first and foremost that rats will vary depending on the severity of your charges. The lawyer will do everything they can to help prove your innocence or at least lessen the sentence. The attorney knows if you can or can’t win the case. If it’s the latter, they will advise you to try to settle out of court. This option can usually get you a shorter or even a more straightforward sentence.
When you are proven guilty of a misdemeanor, the lawyer can help you pay for fines or, instead, community service instead of jail time. And when you ended up in court and charged with a felony, the lawyer will try to prove that you are innocent, lower the charge to a misdemeanor, shorten the sentence, or have you placed in a better facility.
Should You Hire A Lawyer?
So should you hire a criminal defense lawyer? The answer is a big YES. You have to remember that there will always be no guarantee that the outcome will be in your favor, even with a criminal defense lawyer. Still, it is a good idea to hire a lawyer who has a better understanding and experience of how the court works. The criminal defense lawyer can increase the chances of reducing the sentence or win the case better yet.