In your day-to-day life, you likely encounter periodic legal questions or issues. If you’ve ever been issued a parking ticket, if you’re considering getting married, if you’re considering starting a business, if you’re conducting plans for when you pass away, you have encountered an issue that has legal implications. In many cases, you can resolve these issues on your own and the assistance of an attorney is not necessary. However, in others, consulting with a lawyer may prove extremely valuable in the long run.
If you’ve been formally charged with a crime, particularly a crime as serious as a drug crime, you probably need a lawyer. Common sense is not enough to negotiate your way out of these complex problems, and you need the guidance of someone well versed in legal statute, jargon and protocol to advise your actions and to provide you with competent legal defense.
You could attempt to stand in your own defense or rely on a court-assigned public defender, however in doing so you put yourself at significant risk of conviction. It is extremely inadvisable to stand in your own defense unless you have a law degree or dozens of hours to devote to legal research. Public defenders are often over-burdened by their existing caseload, and may not be particularly well acquainted with the specific issues that arise in a criminal drug case.
You could also succumb to prosecutorial pressure and plead guilty, thinking a fine or some minor jail time is not too significant a price. However, if you are convicted of a drug crime there exist other hidden costs that the court may not inform you of. Convicted drug offenders often have difficulties securing employment and housing, face driving restrictions and are not able to obtain government subsidized loans, among other complications.
When deciding whether to retain a drug defense attorney, you need to ask yourself the question “what is at stake for me?” If the loss of your criminal case poses significant risk to you financially, substantively threatens your liberty or could otherwise prove enough of a detriment to your lifestyle and well-being, you should seriously consider providing yourself extra insurance by hiring a qualified attorney.
Posted in: Drug Crimes
