The only time that it hits you hard that you need the best attorney in town is when you realize the penalty stipulated for your crime. If indeed you are facing a severe prison sentence or any other hefty penalty, you need to find someone who can fight for you and possibly win. With the help of a professional lawyer in criminal law, chances of alleviation are guaranteed unlike when you decide to work on your own. Even as you prepare to meet you assistant, you need to be familiar with some of the things about the law and your defense aid.
· Plea bargains
Plea bargain refers to a negotiation by the criminal attorney to a prosecutor to try to mitigate things for you. For instance, through such negotiations, you may get less severe sentences or fewer charges, elimination of certain charges and so forth. As an individual, you cannot achieve this because the prosecutors pay little attention to defendants who represents themselves.
· Fair sentence
Winning or losing the case depends on the final verdict of the judge. In cases where you are found guilty, your lawyer sees to it that you get another penalty different from the one issued previously. May be you have been sentenced 5 years or so in prison. The lawyer will work out the sentence to bring it to as low as one year with the remaining period being spent in special facilities such as rehab.
· Emotional support
Many defendants often get low self-esteem as they undergo trials. This results to negative feelings, depression, fear, and embarrassment among others. Frankly, these are the hardest of times and a shoulder to lean does not hurt at such a critical moment. Lawyers play their role very well at this point by offering you emotional support and helping you get through it.
· Getting insight
Attorneys are often fully aware of all the matters going on and with massive knowledge of the proceedings of the trial; they can give you more insight about everything and keep you in check. The giving of a reality check to a defendant is essential because it makes them more optimist and confident to get through the case. Furthermore, with the reality in mind, a defendant is able to know the imminent occurrence of the trial, thus giving him or her a vantage point to consider a plea bargain earlier enough.
· Clear elaboration
The last thing in the minds of people representing themselves before a court and pleading guilty are the hidden costs associated with the actual crime committed. An attorney gives you an upper hand by elaborating clearly all the costs that come along with pleading guilty, thereby, giving you a chance to contemplate and make the right choice.