Almost everyone has at some point heard the basic rights that police officers typically recite to people who are being arrested. Among these is the right to an attorney. Few people really think about the reason that this is so important that it is considered to be an essential right held by any individual. Once you’ve considered the issue, you’ll see that everyone who gets into any trouble with the police should invoke the right to a criminal defense attorney Rockwall TX.
The major mistake that people often make is assuming that demanding a lawyer implies that you are guilty. In reality, even innocent people need the support and help of an attorney. There are numerous documented cases of people who have been questioned and pressured for hours on end by authority figures who genuinely believed that they were speaking to the person who was guilty of a crime. In this kind of setting, most people will eventually confess regardless of whether they actually had anything to do with it or not. For the lucky ones, other evidence eventually clearly demonstrates that the person is innocent in spite of the confession. Other innocent people, however, have ended up in jail due to this kind of situation.
It’s also important to have a criminal defense attorney Rockwall TX because it puts someone in the room with you during questioning who can guide you on what it’s all right to answer and what you should refuse to discuss. Even if you are absolutely innocent of one thing, it’s possible that a clear description of the truth would have to include admitting to other crimes. In this situation, some people try to simply lie. This is a bad strategy, however, because it can lead to charges of giving a false statement to the police or obstructing justice. In a complicated situation, an attorney is the best person to help you find the most appropriate course of action.
Don’t try to face the authorities on your own. These are people who spend many hours each week pursuing cases and questioning suspects. Their experience with the system and the law far surpasses that of the average person. The only way to balance the situation and to make sure that you aren’t at an unreasonable disadvantage is to call in a lawyer who can help and support you. The Law Office of Tim Hartley routinely supplies such help to defendants.
