subject: Do's And Don'ts In Criminal Cases [print this page] In a criminal case, the defendant of course is charged with a crime. In Texas, the legislatures (meaning politicians) define crimes in statutes. If the offense is not listed in a Texas statute somewhere, then a defendant cannot be charged criminally with doing anything wrong.
In misdemeanor cases, a criminal complaint is filed to charge the crime. In felony cases, an indictment is required to formally charge the offense. A good criminal attorney will look at the charge to see if it is defective in some way. If it is, this criminal defense lawyer will file a motion to challenge the charge.
Crimes are generally considered more serious than civil cases, where only property is at steak. In this article, we are going to discuss about the Do's and Don'ts in criminal cases. Let us first proceed with the dos and then proceed into donts.
Do's in criminal cases:
- Contact a Harris County criminal defense lawyer if you have any doubt whether you will be charged with a crime.
- Note down the witnesses or any other evidence that would show you did not commit the crime.
- If any evidence was obtained illegally, then bring it to the notice of Houston criminal lawyers.
- Stay calm. You may be nervous and anxious, but it is crucial you keep your wits about you and hire a Harris County criminal attorney as soon as you can.
- Always assert your rights. A good rule of thumb is: never consent or agree to anything the police ask you to consent or agree to. In other words, anything they seek in their favor is almost surely not in your interest.
- Go for an initial consultation with a criminal defense attorney in Harris County, Texas, because he can provide you with adequate knowledge and a plan to approach the case.
- Try to remember the badge numbers of any officers who are involved in the case and also note down their patrol car numbers.
- Let your Houston defense attorneys deal with the police and other officials or prosecutors. Do not even think about representing yourself.
Don'ts in criminal cases:
- Do not leave the scene if you are not free to leave.
- DON'T destroy evidence in the case, such as any materials, or tamper with witnesses
- DON'T engage in discussions or negotiations with anyone and make sure you dont express regret for anything because it can be considered as evidence of guilt.
- DON'T agree to waive any rights without consulting the Houston criminal lawyers.
- Don't choose a Houston criminal lawyer that you do not feel comfortable with.
