Literally, your life may depend on your attorney. Though not always in the "facing capital punishment" kind of way, a conviction could mean a substantial jail sentence. It could mean other things too, such as a hefty fine or the loss of your driving privileges. Why take the chance with your life?
Whenever possible it is better to go local. They will be well versed in the local, city, and state laws. Also, if they are nearby they are likely to be more accessible.
Need help with legal case will be available to meet and discuss the situation more readily if their office is only a few miles away. Also, while it may seem like it is not appropriate, knowing judges and other lawyers will allow a criminal attorney the ability to more fully negotiate an agreement or plea bargain and work to benefit the client.
The legal system is complex.
Criminal attorney go through a very intense and difficult three year course of study where they get an overview of the law. A good criminal defense lawyer will have taken classes pertaining to courtroom behavior and etiquette. An experienced defense attorney will be comfortable working in the criminal justice system and will know many of the parties involved. It is very important to have knowledgeable and qualified legal representation.
You may be all for furthering the education and experience of a lawyer that is fresh out of law school, but think about it, can you really afford to leave your case in the hands of someone that is untried and unproven. You need a criminal attorney that has a ton of trial experience. They have the expertise that is needed when it comes time to select juries and how to develop a good defense that will help clear your name.
In many cases, you will not be able to vote, receive student financial assistance, or buy firearms. These issues could obviously impact some people more than others, but in general, you will never be able to forget about your conviction. It will follow you like a shadow throughout life if you do not do anything to fix the problem.
You may be thinking that every criminal defense attorney is basically in the same field. But that really isn't true. If you've been charged with breaking and entering, for example, you'll want to find a lawyer for criminal who has a history of handling these types of cases. You don't want to hire a DUI lawyer for a murder trial. You can save yourself a lot of time and frustration by narrowing your search to those firms who advertise based on the types of law they tend to practice. If you have a relationship with a lawyer who doesn't quite practice in the right field, you can always ask them for a referral.
Though you might easily find criminal defense lawyers, it is a great idea to know the kind of actions that are regarded as criminal law violation. Some of those crime are felony offense, drug possession, marijuana use, juvenile, state crimes, misdemeanor, violent crimes, guns possessions, burglaries, etc. You must not underestimate the importance of a lawyer consultation because you cannot escape after you break the law.
It is also worth considering that an individual that does not understand the law cannot use loopholes to their advantage. This is not advantageous for a person that is trying to get off because technicalities are very important to the process. Using technicalities to the advantage of a client is something that lawyer will know how to do.