The best thing to do when you have been accused of any crime is to take immediate action without panicking; it is however important that you think thoroughly and logically. The first thing you must do is to contact a criminal defense attorney; you are not going to check the yellow pages and call the first attorney you come across. You need to take your time to carefully assess the person so that you are sure they are actually qualified; you can follow these simple steps and you can make your legal representation sure:

Ares of expertise: There are many criminal defense attorneys who specialize in different areas of practice; you want to be sure this one has experience in the area you are interested in. while you can find a criminal defense attorney who can represent you in any area, your chances are better when you have someone who is an expert in a particular area. Whether you have been charged with first degree murder, manslaughter, hit and run, drug trafficking, burglary or assault and battery, you have higher chances of getting better representation by someone who has many clients facing similar charges.

Public or private defense attorney: The next thing you must decide on is whether you will go for a public or a private criminal defense attorney. One great advantage of public attorneys has to do with the fact that they are relatively cheaper than those who practice in private. However, you will want to ask yourself whether you will be saving some money at the expense of quality representation. Most public attorneys juggle with far too many cases it becomes difficult for them to give every single case the amount of attention it really deserves. On the other hand are private criminal defense attorneys who will give more attention and thereby increase the chances that your case will proceed well. Take time to think critically about how much money you are able to spend on legal representation and whether or not you will afford to choose a god quality criminal defense lawyer.

Experience: Once you have decided on the type of criminal defense lawyer you want, you also want to seriously consider the issue of quality. Whether you want a young flashy lawyer who doesn’t have experience but has the energy to work hard to try and win your case or someone with many years under their belt and has a lot of experience in the type of case you are dealing with is also something you must decide upon. No matter what reason you have to look for a criminal defense attorney, you need to know what you are looking for so that your research becomes much easier. Make sure that you get a lawyer who is able to put your defense first.

Author's Bio: 

This article is penned by Lora Davis for the law office of Nicco Capozzi who is an experienced Fresno criminal defense attorney and civil litigator. If you need the legal services or advice in matters related to drug possession, assault & battery, expungements or extortion then contact them at (559) 374-2012