subject: Hire A Dallas Criminal Attorney To Handle Grand Jury [print this page] Whether you're a witness or accused, when you're facing a grand jury it is important to get the appropriate legal counsel from a Dallas criminal attorney.Since this process may be entirely new to you, you need to learn how to handle certain questions and what evidence you ought to present to defend yourself. A criminal lawyer in Dallas insures that you use all evidence available to you to prevent the charges and punishment.
A grand jury is different from a trial jury because a grand jury decides whether the accused should be charged with acrime or the case should be dropped.The grand jury listens to felony cases and if you are indicted then you will move forward to trial court. The state's criminal lawyer presents the evidence, and witnesses give testimony to the grand jury. The jurors examine and weigh the evidence to decide whether the accused should be charged or not.
Usually, common felony crimes include organized crime, counterfeiting, bank robbery, kidnapping, threatening a public official and tax-related crimes such as tax evasion. The grand jury has rights to call witnesses and subpoena personal or business records.Witnesses are sometimes accused as well, so even if you are also called as a witness, you should meet with a Dallas criminal attorney beforehand.
Even though a criminal lawyer in Dallas cannot attend the jury proceedings, he/she can wait outside the courtroom and support you if you have any questions.You can move outside the room and consult with your criminal lawyer Dallas during the proceedings.Since it usually a pending legal matter, you should be extremely careful while giving any statement.A professional criminal lawyer will guide you about how to prepare your testimony according to the situation and time.
Important Things to Ponder Over
You may want to take written notes during the proceedings to discuss it later with your Dallas criminal attorney. Try to avoid pre-grand jury interviews because it can trap you with questions that should be talked over with your criminal lawyer Dallas. It is important that you wait and give your testimony during the proceedings when witnesses are present and statements are being recorded.Also, be sure that your criminal lawyer is allowed to accept the served subpoena on your behalf. It saves you from the embarrassment of being served at your place of business or in public.
