Drug Charge lawyer
If you have been charged with drug possession or trafficking of illegal substances, you probably have a lot of questions, especially if this is your first time being arrested. Will you be able to keep your job? Will this arrest stay on your record? Will you have to serve jail time?
Being charged with a drug crime is serious. Alabama has some of the most severe punishments in the country for drug charges, including mandatory minimum penalties for drug convictions.
However, sometimes it is possible to avoid jail time if you have been charged with a drug crime. You may benefit from a criminal defense lawyer with proven experience who is familiar with the local courts, prosecutors, and judges. But if you want to hire one of the best criminal defense lawyers in Huntsville, be prepared to pay.
A good drug crime lawyer can help you navigate your specific case and charges so that you can come out at the end of this with the best possible outcome. You may have several possible defenses to the drug charges. An aggressive criminal defense lawyer will pressure the prosecutor for the best possible plea deal or take the case to trial.
What kind of criminal defense lawyer do you need?
Experienced Trial Lawyer: When choosing your criminal defense lawyer, it is important to hire an experienced drug crime lawyer. When considering who to hire, you should ask how many times the criminal defense lawyer has taken a case to trial.
Local prosecutors constantly deal with the same Huntsville criminal defense attorneys. The prosecutors know which lawyers are willing to take a case to trial. Prosecutors also know which lawyers are afraid to take a case to trial.
Your attorney may also be able to prove that the police have made an error in charging you with a crime. Possibly the search of your person or property was unlawful. Entrapment and the violation of one’s rights are all factors that play a role in the outcome of your specific case.
Attorney Who Limits the Number of Cases Accepted: Many of the most experienced criminal defense lawyers limit the number of cases that they handle. This allows more experienced criminal defense lawyers to give each client more attention. The downside to hiring an experienced criminal defense lawyer is that you may have to pay a lot of money. But how can you put a price on your freedom? No one wants to take a loan from family, but sometimes a loan is necessary to afford the best criminal defense lawyer for your case.
There are other advantages to hiring an experienced criminal defense lawyer with a limited number of cases. For example, if the criminal defense lawyer only handles a few new cases per month, then you can be assured that the criminal defense lawyer has the time and energy to handle your case competently. Your criminal defense lawyer should listen to your concerns and address them.
For some lawyers, one client is just another case. Finding a criminal defense attorney who remembers your name and asks engaging questions about your particular situation are a few of the ways of deciding if the attorney that you are meeting with is in fact engaged in your case and in helping you come out with the best possible circumstances.
Should you be represented by a court-appointed lawyer?
There are dozens of good Huntsville criminal defense lawyers on the court-appointed list. In fact, some of the best Huntsville criminal defense lawyers are appointed to criminal cases. However, criminal defendants usually are not allowed to choose their court-appointed lawyer.
Depending on which Huntsville criminal defense lawyer is appointed to your case, you may be better off sticking with that lawyer for your case. It depends on which lawyer is assigned to your case.
How do you choose your drug crime lawyer?
You are obviously taking your drug charge seriously or you wouldn’t be reading this article. The internet is a good place to start your research. Begin by reading as much information as possible.
An excellent place to start is by asking around friends or family to see if there is someone you know personally who has been in a similar situation or if they possibly know someone who works in that area of law.
Finding the right criminal defense attorney might seem like a stressful situation on top of an already stressful predicament. However, hiring the right attorney for your case is important if you want to avoid jail time or a drug conviction on your record.
Drug charges in the state of Alabama are very serious. Even for first-time offenders. The maximum penalty for possession of marijuana is up to one year in jail and/or a fine of $6,000. The penalty for trafficking marijuana is up to 10 years in prison and/or a maximum fine of $30,000. While every case is unique with its details and facts, a good criminal defense attorney will be able to assess your case and work with the prosecutors to secure a favorable plea agreement or even a dismissal. Drug charges are not often dropped. However, hiring the best criminal defense lawyer for your case will improve the odds of your charges being dropped.
Conclusion
Do your research. Talk to friends and family about who they would hire. Research Huntsville criminal defense lawyers to see which lawyer seems to be the best criminal defense lawyer for your case.
Robert E. Patterson has handled criminal cases for over 40 years. He has represented hundreds of defendants who have been accused of drug crimes. Robert Patterson has also handled countless other types of criminal matters for clients, including DUIs. If you or a loved one have been charged with a drug crime, call him at 256-539-8686 or text him at 256-475-0688.
At Garnett Patterson Injury Lawyers, we have handled many types of criminal cases. Ranging from drug charges to DUI. For a free consultation, call our office at 256-539-8686. We partner with law firms across the country to aggressively pursue the best outcome for each of our clients.
