St. Petersburg Criminal Lawyer Blog
If you have been charged with a crime, it is important to seek legal representation. A criminal defense lawyer can help protect your rights and guide you through the criminal justice system. This blog post will discuss some of the basics of criminal defense law in St. Petersburg, Florida. We will cover topics such as bail, plea bargains, and sentencing. If you have been arrested or are facing criminal charges, please contact a qualified criminal defense lawyer at Hanlon Law immediately!
If you are arrested, remain silent and contact a lawyer immediately.
If you are arrested, the police will ask you to question you. Never make statements before speaking with a lawyer. The prosecution can use anything that you say against you in court. Never answer questions without your attorney present, even if the police officer assures that it is only for his protection or well-being. There’s no such thing as “speaking off the record.” Anything and everything you tell law enforcement officials can be used against you later in court proceedings. There have been countless instances where suspects confessed to terrible crimes after enduring long hours of questioning, even when they were innocent!
Don’t agree to any questioning or searches without a lawyer present.
If a police officer asks to speak with you or wants to search your car or home, politely decline without giving any explanations. Tell the officers that you wish to remain silent and not answer questions until you have spoken with an attorney. Do not consent to a search of your person, car, or property if a police officer asks you for permission. By law, the police must give Miranda warnings before questioning anyone in custody about a crime. However, many people do not understand their rights and don’t realize that they may be incriminating themselves by speaking with law enforcement officials when they haven’t been read their rights first.
Get to know your rights – the police must read you your Miranda rights.
If you are arrested, the police must read you your Miranda rights. These rights include the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney, and the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you are not given these rights or violated in any way, your attorney can use this as a basis for filing a motion to suppress evidence. You should also be familiar with your local laws – each state has different laws governing criminal procedure. An experienced criminal defense lawyer can help you understand how these laws impact your case.
Challenge evidence that was obtained illegally or wasn’t properly handled.
If law enforcement obtained evidence illegally or if the evidence was mishandled, your criminal defense lawyer can file a motion to suppress the evidence. This could potentially weaken the prosecution’s case against you and increase the likelihood of getting your charges reduced or dismissed altogether.