Your attorney, especially in a high-stakes criminal case, is not just a legal representative, but your champion.  They are the ones who know your life story and your version of events.  With the police providing a one-sided account and the prosecutors having a negative view, it's crucial to have an attorney who will fight for your rights and provide a strong defense, making you feel supported and defended.

What you need is someone who can present your side of the story and who will fight for you, asserting all of your rights.  You need an attorney with a proven track record of success in cases like yours. This is the kind of defense that can give you confidence in the face of a challenging situation.

Trying to go with somebody who doesn't know you or your circumstances and who might be overworked and just have too many cases themselves is obviously not going to work for you.  You're going to need someone you've specifically hired who knows your story and has a clear strategy for how you want to handle your criminal case in Los Angeles, because we have to face reality. We need to examine the strength of the case against you that the prosecutors have.

Is it a case that we're going to fight at a jury trial level where we're going to have to get all the evidence and investigate and set things up so that you can be in the strongest position to fight your case, or is it a case where the prosecutors do have enough evidence to convict you of the crime, and now we have to do damage control.  We need to determine how we can obtain a reduced charge and prevent you from going to jail or prison.

All of these cases are different.  But the bottom line is that you need someone who is looking out for you — who is fighting for you and trying to do everything they possibly can to get you the best result.  Unless somebody is keyed in and targeted to help you, things are probably not going to go the way that you want, and that's a problem.

It would be best if the case went your way.  It would be best if you were spun in a direction that puts you in the strongest possible position.  There are all sorts of things on the line — your freedom, your rights, your reputation, your criminal record, your future.  All sorts of rights can be lost if you are convicted of a crime, whether it be a felony or a misdemeanor.  Obviously, nobody wants to go to jail or prison.

You Need A Lawyer Who Knows Your Story

That's what your attorney is there for — to stand between you and the potential consequences of a criminal case.  The first question is, how severe could the punishment be?  The key to avoiding severe punishment is a criminal defense attorney who is not just knowledgeable, but dedicated to protecting your future, who knows your story, and who understands what you need from this case. This dedication should reassure you and boost your confidence in your attorney's abilities.

When I receive these cases, I speak with my client.  I'm saying, here's where we're at.  Here's what we're up against, and then my client and I decide on the parameters of what we must have.  Once we have that locked in, it's now my job to fight for it — either to gather evidence to support our plan or to put together a mitigation package for the prosecutors. I will meet with the head of the LA County prosecutors to try to resolve the issue, which we must have.  That's my job, and I have the experience and skills to negotiate effectively on your behalf.

That's what I have to do, and that's what your champion has to do when you hire a criminal defense attorney. Criminal defense is not easy.  When you're charged with a crime, the prosecutors and the judge are not looking at you kindly. Hence, it's up to your criminal defense attorney to try to turn the tide in your favor, and there are a lot of different ways to do that, depending on the circumstances of your case.

The bottom line is that you have to hire an attorney with whom you feel comfortable when you sit down and talk to them, looking them face-to-face.  I always meet with my clients face to face and talk to them and go over their case with them. This personal touch is crucial in understanding who they are as a person, what happened in their case, and what we must have result-wise in order to keep their life intact and to deal with their criminal case the right way. This should make you feel valued and understood in the legal process.