When you are facing criminal charges, it can feel as if the whole world is against you. The complexity of the legal system only makes things worse, and you can easily find yourself lost, overwhelmed, and completely unsure which way to turn for help. But as anyone who’s ever enlisted the help of an Oklahoma City criminal defense lawyer will tell you, all is not lost. With the help of an experienced criminal attorney in OKC, you won’t need to worry about building your defense by yourself. Most importantly, you will stand a much better chance of securing a favorable outcome. Here are twelve ways in which your attorney will help you.
Need a Criminal Attorney in OKC? 12 Ways an Oklahoma City Criminal Defense Lawyer Can Help You
1. Provide Legal Advice Throughout the Process
The last thing you want to do when facing criminal charges is to make any decisions without knowing their consequences. You could accidentally incriminate yourself further or fail to take advantage of a viable solution simply because you didn’t know it was available to you. That’s why your lawyer’s primary responsibility is to help you navigate the legal complexities and repercussions of your case.
Attorneys will support you with objective advice every step of the way, ensuring you’re always aware of your rights and responsibilities. You’ll have the advantage of making informed, planned decisions at every stage of the process.
2. Assess the Situation Objectively
If you’ve never faced criminal charges before, it can be incredibly difficult to know where to start and what to do. Your attorney will assess the situation from an outside perspective and give you a realistic view of what you can expect, based on the facts of your case and on professional experience with other, similar cases. We will also determine what steps can be taken to investigate the case further.
3. Investigate Your Case
Law enforcement officers are not the only professionals who can investigate your case. Attorneys also conduct thorough investigations to gather evidence that will support your case. This could involve reviewing police reports and other documents, conducting interviews, and examining any existing evidence.
Just as importantly, at the investigation stage, we work to predict what evidence will be brought against you, should the case reach the trial stage. Attorneys will often join forces with other professional, such as private investigators, to uncover any mitigating factors and prevent any unwelcome surprises during the trial. Sometimes, it can also be beneficial to have the evidence re-examined during the investigation stage.
4. Develop a Successful Strategy
Once your attorney has listened to your story and examined the facts of the case, we will work with you to develop a successful defense strategy. Claiming innocence isn’t always enough, even when it’s true: sometimes, the circumstances of the case work against you, forcing you into a more involved approach.
Your lawyer will tailor your defense strategy to these circumstances, the existing evidence, and other important factors to give you the best chance at reaching a positive outcome.
5. Negotiate a Plea Bargain
In some cases, it may even be possible to avoid a trial altogether. Depending on the details of your case, the attorney may be able to negotiate a so-called plea deal, or plea bargain, to avoid a long court process and negotiate a lesser sentence. In Oklahoma, plea bargains can take place at any time between the initial charges being brought against you and the trial, so it’s not too late to try this solution.
Plea bargains aren’t always an option, but only an experienced criminal attorney can help you understand if this could be a good solution for you and negotiate the terms on your behalf.
6. Represent You in Court
Representing yourself in court during a criminal case is never a good idea, especially since you will be going up against a professional prosecutor who has legal knowledge and plenty of courtroom experience. By having a great lawyer represent you in court, you will level the playing field and give yourself the best chance at securing a win.
If you choose to testify during your trial, you can count on your lawyer to prepare you for the experience. We will explain how to conduct yourself while providing testimony and prepare you for any challenging questions from the prosecution. After practicing your answers with your attorney, you’ll feel much more confident and calm during your time on the stand.
7. Remove Biased Jurors
In Oklahoma and many other states, attorneys have the right to remove any jury members they think may be biased before the trial begins. With help from an experienced criminal attorney in OKC, you’ll give yourself the opportunity for a fair trial with a jury of your peers that’s not prejudiced against you in any way.
8. Select and Present Evidence During Trial
Not all evidence is admissible in court, and not all evidence will work in your favor. As your lawyers, we will know exactly what evidence should be brought into the trial and we will present it in a way that supports your defense strategy.
9. Find Witnesses to Help Your Case
Sometimes, it can be beneficial to bring other professionals into your case to support your claims. Testimonies and statements from medical professionals, forensic scientists, or financial analysts can be used to help your case and convince the jury and the judge of your innocence. Your attorney will let you know when a witness could be helpful and will arrange for one to appear in court.
10. Research Precedents and Statutes
In some criminal cases, it’s possible to rely on a precedent or statute to secure a court victory. Precedents are past cases that featured the same facts as yours and reached a positive outcome for the defendant. Both take legal knowledge to research and find, and your lawyer will handle this for you.
11. Prepare and Cross-Examine Witnesses
During a criminal trial, every witness is examined by the side that called them (defense or prosecution) and cross-examined by the opposing side. This can be an incredibly stressful experience, so your lawyer will be there to prepare your witnesses for their time on the stand. Thanks to extensive courtroom experience, we can often predict what questions the witnesses will face and prepare them accordingly.
At the same time, it will be your attorney’s job to question the prosecution’s witnesses. Cross-examination is a crucial part of the trial, especially because an experienced attorney can sometimes undermine a witness’ statement with a few well-placed questions.
12. File Appeals When Needed
In case of conviction, your lawyer will know whether an appeal can be filed. There is a limited window of time for filing post-conviction appeals and finding grounds for one requires legal knowledge, so only a qualified attorney can help you.
Do you need an experienced Oklahoma City criminal defense lawyer? Our team of dedicated defense attorneys has more than 50 years of combined experience in navigating Oklahoma law and winning even the toughest criminal cases. Contact Cannon & Associates today for a free consultation and start building your defense today with the best criminal defense lawyers in Oklahoma.