Short answer: Yes, you do. No matter—

• what type of crime you've been charged with
• whether the charge is state or federal
• how minor the crime involved is
• whether this is your first charge or 15th
• what stage you're at (investigation, post-arrest, facing bail, trial, or want an appeal)

You need a skilled, aggressive criminal defense attorney to protect and advance your rights!

To Fight for Your Rights

The prosecution is going to do everything it can to rack up its record of convictions; including yours—and make your bail high, bring the maximum charges, and obtain the most severe sentence.

That's the nature of the criminal justice system, in every state and in federal jurisdictions. The judges are "neutral," but the goal of the law enforcement and the prosecutors involved in your case is to convict you and make sure that you are punished, to the max. Without an attorney working on your behalf, the whole system is tilted heavily in favor of the prosecution.

The Prosecution's Power

Indeed, prosecutors have a tremendous amount of power. They decide whether or not to even issue criminal charges in the first place. They make the choice of what charge(s) to bring, and whether to confer immunity on an individual. Prosecutors also have the power to subpoena witnesses (make people testify in court).

In addition, there is a tendency for jury members to believe that an accused person is probably guilty of the charges—after all (they may think), why else would the prosecutor and system go to all this trouble to bring him to trial?

What Your Defense Lawyer Does

An experienced criminal defense attorney will work tirelessly on your behalf, at every stage of the criminal process, such as:

• the investigation of your case—your defense attorney wants to know everything about your case (and more than the prosecutor knows)
• challenging any weak points regarding your arrest and/or questioning by law enforcement officers
• trying to get your charge(s) dismissed or at least reduced
• appearing with you at your arraignment and any preliminary hearings, arguing on your behalf
• preparing you and any defense witnesses for a trial before a judge or jury, if one is appropriate
• presenting your case at trial, and all that this entails
• if you are convicted, arguing for a favorable sentence
• appealing your conviction when appropriate
• helping individuals with probation, parole, and expungement issues

Contact the Sigal Law Group for Your Defense Needs

Whatever your circumstances are, you can turn to the Sigal Law Group, PC for experienced, knowledgeable criminal defense representation. Despite the circumstances of your case, the highly-skilled legal team at the Sigal Law Group treats every matter as if it were their own and will fight tirelessly to ensure the best possible outcome. Contact a Van Nuys criminal attorney today.