fort dix military criminal lawyers

Whether you’ve already been charged with a crime or it looks like you will be soon, you may be wondering if you can afford to hire a private military criminal lawyer. The real question you should be asking yourself is if you can afford not to.

Any time you’re getting charged with a crime, there could be serious consequences to a guilty verdict. Even if you settle out of court with a plea bargain, it could have a lasting effect on your life. Let’s go over the process of getting your defense ready when you’re facing a court martial to see why hiring a military criminal defense lawyer is the best approach to take.

Before You’ve Been Charged

The difference between hiring your own lawyer and letting the court appoint one for you starts well before any sort of trial. You may realize that charges are likely before the prosecutor files them. Ideally, the moment you know that you’re in legal trouble, you’ll consult with a defense lawyer who can get started on an investigation and preparing your defense.

That can’t happen unless you go out and hire a private lawyer on your own. Courts obviously don’t appoint attorneys to people who haven’t even been charged with crime yet, because court-appointed attorneys are already busy enough with the defendants they need to represent. If you’re going to get a court-appointed attorney, then you’ll need to wait until you get charged.

Your court-appointed attorney will already be working from behind, since the prosecutor has been investigating and preparing the case before filing charges. If you hire your own lawyer, he can do the same. That extra preparation could make a huge difference.

After You’ve Been Charged

Do private military criminal lawyers have any other advantages over court-appointed attorneys, besides the fact that you can get them earlier on? Yes, and in fact there are several reasons why it’s important you get your own lawyer.

We brought up time above and how busy court-appointed attorneys are. Of course, private lawyers can be busy in their own right, but they certainly don’t have the sort of strenuous case load expected of court-appointed attorneys. A private lawyer can set aside much more of his time for your case, which means that you can expect a much better defense.

In terms of experience and skill, there’s typically a big difference between a private lawyer and one who gets appointed to you by the court. Court-appointed attorneys are often starting their careers doing that. There are plenty of excellent ones out there, but you also need to realize that you’ll have no say in who you get. The court will assign you whoever is available, and unless there are serious issues between the two of you, you can’t get someone else.

With a private lawyer, you can choose someone with plenty of experience and a solid track record. You don’t just need to settle for whoever.

Getting the Best Outcome

Despite how serious military criminal charges can be, many still opt for a court-appointed attorney even with the potential punishments. This can be a life-changing mistake.

It’s important to take a long-term view of the situation instead of just looking at the short-term costs you’ll incur. Letting the court appoint your attorney does get you a free defense, but do you really want to skimp on such a major part of your case? Think about what could happen if you’re found guilty of one or more criminal charges.

You’ll probably be without a job. This means you’ll need to search for new employment, but you’ll be doing so with a guilty verdict on your record, resulting in many missed opportunities.

Those benefits you received from the military, such as that nice enlistment bonus, could be gone. You may even need to pay back whatever higher education costs the military covered.

If a case doesn’t go your way, it could do serious damages to your reputation and your finances. Consult with a private military criminal lawyer today to get started your defense ready.