Taperman articles

Best Criminal Defense Attorneys  

Those criminal defense attorneys who are the best in their field are not necessarily the most famous.  They may be found on the front pages of the newspapers for their role in the defense of some particular high profile client, but again, that does not mean that they are the best. It usually means that they are very capable of giving the client a good defense even if the client is not innocent of the crime.

EACH CASE IS UNIQUE

It's important to realize that each criminal case which is taken to court contains components which make it different from every other case.  Each case is likely to have different attorneys, clients, judges and other personnel.  A particular criminal defense attorney is one who can set aside the emotional part of the relationships and proceedings and zero in on how to present the facts in a way that will provide a defense for the particular client.  Even though you may not particularly like an attorney personally, they can still be the best choice to represent you in court.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BEST CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEYS

EXPERIENCE

It's important that the attorney which you are considering to defend you in court be experienced in all facets of preparing and presenting a criminal case.  It has been said that a person can have ten years of experience or one year of experience ten times.  This is especially true of attorneys.  Not only should they be experienced in gathering facts, but arranging those facts in a way that is best for the presentation.  Then, the presentation must be done correctly so that a jury will understand and agree.  It's also important that an attorney be familiar with the laws of the particular jurisdiction that applies.  For example, if your case will be tried in federal court, one set of laws and statutes may apply.  The laws of a state court will often be slightly different. 

FIELDS OF EXPERTISE

While there are millions of crimes, large and small, crime can be divided into four major categories comprised of violent crimes, drug-related crimes, sex crimes, and white collar crimes. Contrary to popular belief, an attorney cannot do well defending every type of crime.  There are simply too many laws and statutes to consider to stay abreast of all crime, all the time. You should try to find a good criminal defense attorney who demonstrates ability in the area of crime that you have been accused of.

WINNING RECORD

A criminal defense attorney may be quite experienced, but if he or she is not winning cases, they won't continue as first choice when the client is selecting an attorney to represent him.  Before selecting an attorney, look at his professional background.  Check for his win/loss record and if possible what types of cases he  fares better at.

RESPECT AND INFORMATION

Respect is a broad term, but essentially, you have a right to expect your attorney to treat you in a professional manner.  Your calls and questions should be addressed, although you must remember to respect your attorney's time as well.  You are unlikely to be the only client of the attorney at any particular time.

You have the right to be kept informed on the status of the case.  At the same time, you are paying for the expertise of the attorney and you should not try to micro manage the case yourself.

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