Choosing To Remain Positive

Protecting Your Future With Rigorous Defense - Questions For Your Criminal Defense Attorney

Any situation where you feel the need to seek out the advice of a lawyer is a serious one, but if you've been accused of a violent crime, it's especially vital that you take every possible precaution. Regardless of your actual culpability in the event, there are some steps you can take to make sure you're active and engaged in your defense.

Below, you'll find a guide to some questions you should be sure to ask your criminal defense attorney. Having the answers to these questions can allow you to feel like you're being proactive about your future, and can put you on a path toward securing the best possible outcome for you and the people you care about.

Ask About Treatment

In many jurisdictions, either mental health or substance abuse issues can act as substantial mitigating factors when it comes to determining criminal culpability. If you're suffering from these problems, you might even be eligible for treatment plans that can help you avoid extended incarceration.

Your attorney can work with you to find an appropriate treatment program that can allow you to adjust to any issues you may be struggling with. He or she can also lay out the legal advantages to seeking that treatment, hopefully providing you with the encouragement you need to pursue that avenue where appropriate.

Ask About Testifying

While you have an absolute right to testify in your own defense, your attorney may be able to help determine whether or not that's likely to yield a positive outcome in your case. Though they won't be able to influence your recollections, your lawyer can also help shape your message into a form that offers a better reflection on you.

Be sure to go over whether or not you want to testify and what the consequences may be. Go in to that conversation with an open mind, and be willing to consider the possibility that staying removed may actually be in your best interest.

Ask About Outcomes

A great deal of the anxiety that comes from facing criminal charges has to do with uncertainty. If you're not sure about how you're likely to end up, it's only natural that your nerves will mount. With sufficient experience, your criminal attorney will be able to compare your cases to others which are similar and provide an honest assessment of your likely future. This can allow you to plan more thoroughly and prepare yourself for what's down the road.

Check with an attorney like Villarini & Henry LLP for more information.


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