Assault charges are common in Maryland and other jurisdictions. You don’t have to throw some jabs at a person or stab them to be charged with assault. You don’t even have to hit anyone to face an assault charge. A physical altercation with your neighbor or engaging in a bar brawl is enough to get your name on the charge sheet. Regardless of the nature of your crime, it is important to hire a skilled assault charges attorney to represent you at every stage of the criminal process. So, what are the responsibilities of assault charges attorneys? Read on.
The assault lawyer represents you in court
The primary responsibility of the attorney is to build a rock-solid case or defense against your claimants. Their ultimate goal is to ensure that you– even if they are guilty — receive the best possible outcome, such as a dismissal of the case or zero prison time. This typically involves preparing opening and closing statements, questioning prosecution witnesses, filing the relevant motions or requests with the court in a timely manner. If the prosecution obtains evidence in an improper manner, it is the job of the attorney to ensure the evidence is thrown out. In the event that you want to enter a plea in court, your attorney must respect your wishes, even if he or she doesn’t think it’s a good idea to do so.
The defense lawyer maintains your confidentiality
It is the responsibility of the defense attorney to ensure that your information is confidential. This means that even if you tell your attorney that you are guilty of causing a fight in a bar, he or she cannot disclose this information to anyone. However, if you tell your attorney that you plan to commit a crime in the future, the lawyer has an ethical duty to reveal to reveal your plans.
The criminal defense lawyer protects your rights
Throughout the criminal proceedings, the criminal defense lawyer should educate you on your constitutional rights, and work at ensuring that your rights are not violated by the prosecution and any other party involved in the case. For instance, the attorney should ensure that you aren’t tried by a jury in a timely manner and that the prosecution avails the prosecutorial information it has on the accused.
These are just some of the main responsibilities of an assault attorney. A good lawyer shouldn’t stop working until you have got justice.
Assault Charges Attorney: What You Should Do When Facing Assault Charges
Assault charges are serious and can land you in jail or be required to pay heavy fines. Studies show that many people don’t know what to do when they are facing the charges. To help you out, here is what you should do:
Only talk to your assault charges attorney
When the police arrest you for assault, they will try to entice you to answer questions or give statements. They will promise you immediate release, leniency, or even outright dismissal of the charges you are facing if you cooperate. They may even tell you that they have incriminating evidence against you. All this is to confuse you so that you can make mistakes. When you are arrested, you shouldn’t speak to the police. You should only speak to your assault charges attorney. In addition to avoiding speaking to the police, you should also avoid from speaking to the other inmates, your family friends, or parents concerning your case. This is to prevent information from landing in the wrong hands.
Don’t contact the person you assaulted
Contacting the assault victim may lead to additional charges against you and this is likely to increase your bail. It can also be interpreted as a violation of a restraining order which can see you paying a heavy punishment.
Work closely with your defense attorney
Criminal attorneys are expensive but failure to hire one may see you in jail because you are inexperienced to represent yourself effectively. It is better for you to pay an attorney than risk jail, lose your job, and have a criminal record. The professional will help you in gathering evidence and witnesses for your case.
The professional will also help you in identifying the weak areas of the case that you can use to your advantage. For example, if the person that you assaulted is the one that started the confrontation, the defense attorney can come up with an argument that you were defending yourself before you were arrested. To have an easy time with the attorney and increase your chances of winning the case, you should provide the attorney with all the information that he/she needs. You should also tell him/her the truth about your case.
Conclusion
A criminal defense lawyer is very important on assault charges since he/she will represent you effectively thus increasing your chances of winning your case. Remember that inadequate representation is likely to land you in jail. If you feel that you cannot afford an attorney, you qualify for a public defender. Although the professional won’t have as much time with you as a private attorney, he/she will be better than handling the case alone.
