Criminal law is a bit different than other types of law in that if you lose the case you could end up doing time in jail. Quite often, when you first contacted the lawyer you were not exactly sure of the legal process or what could happen to you. In fact, you may have opted for a public defender, not sure of where to get an attorney or how to pay for one. As things progress, you may wonder if you would be better off with a different lawyer. Before you make any calls, here are a few things you need to know.

Communicate

You need to sit down with your current lawyer and ask him or her what is going on. Find out what is being done for you. If part of the problem is the attorney has a lot of other clients, find out if someone else in the office can help. If it seems that you and your legal representative cannot communicate about your concerns, or you have to wait more than a day to get a response, it might be time to start calling for someone new.

Changing Public Defenders

It  may be difficult to get a different public defender. However, if you explain the problem to both your attorney and to the judge, the problems you are having may be fixed. Make sure you keep adequate records of what has happened so far between the two of you, including missed appointments, and a lack of information coming to you. Sometimes the lawyer is not aware of how he or she was messing up and needs to be reminded. Of course, when a judge sees the problems the attorney will definitely try harder.

Switching to a Trial Lawyer

At first, the lawyer you contacted may be the best one to work with the District Attorney to find out why you are being charged and what the evidence is against you. Together they may be able to come to some sort of agreement on the charges and a reduced punishment. However, if you are innocent, and feel there is no way a jury will find you guilty, you may want to have someone more experienced with going to trial. Approximately 90 percent of all criminal cases end up with a plea bargain and no trial. Sometimes, a plea is better for you even if you are innocent if there is overwhelming evidence against you.

Anytime you switch lawyers there is going to be an adjustment. The new lawyer, like those from The Law Office of Israel S Hernandez, PLLC, is going to need to read all the documents, meet with the witnesses, and talk with you before coming up to speed on your case. If possible, see if you can keep the original attorney as a secondary legal representative on the case. Remember, you want to have someone you trust, someone knowledgeable, and someone experienced on your side if you want to stay out of jail.

Share