5 Reasons Why An Average Person Might Need A Criminal Lawyer
When you think of criminal defense lawyers, you naturally think of criminals. You probably assume that, as a law-abiding citizen that doesn’t knowingly commit crimes, you won’t ever need the services of a criminal defense lawyer. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. There are a lot of situations where you could find yourself in trouble with the law, even if you didn’t deliberately do anything wrong. It’s important that you know when to seek legal advice because if you proceed without the proper backing, you could end up in a lot worse trouble.
These are some of the reasons why an average person might need a criminal lawyer.
Being Questioned By The Police
If you are ever approached by the police for questioning, even if you know that your actions didn’t break the law, do not answer any questions without a criminal defense lawyer present. If you don’t have representation, there is nothing to prevent you from incriminating yourself. This mistake could be enough to land you in court on criminal charges.
Often, you might be questioned as a witness to a crime but the police could make you a suspect if you unknowingly say the wrong thing. You then find yourself in a situation where it’s down to you to prove your innocence. This happens to people because they assume that they don’t need legal representation because they didn’t do anything illegal. But you can avoid all of that if you just get a criminal defense lawyer immediately.
Driving Offenses
A lot of minor driving offenses are civil matters that can’t be dealt with in criminal court. If you are caught going slightly over the speed limit, for example, you will be issued with a fine to pay and that’s the end of the matter. But more severe driving offenses are seen as a criminal matter and the police must arrest you and take you down to the station if they catch you in the act. Even though this is a criminal matter, it’s unlikely that you will go to court over it but that doesn’t mean that you don’t need legal defense when dealing with these kinds of charges.
If you are going considerably faster than the speed limit or you are caught drink driving, for example, you will face criminal charges. If you are involved in a hit and run car accident, you will need proper legal representation too. People don’t always realize that they are involved in criminal proceedings because of driving offenses until it’s too late and they make mistakes early on. There is a process you should follow to deal with driving offenses and a criminal defense lawyer will help you make sure that you take the right steps.
Weapons Offenses
You might not ever have thought about this but there are actually a lot of weapons offenses that you can be charged with. If you are charged with carrying an offensive weapon without permission, you could find yourself in trouble so it is recommended to seek help from legal experts like the Weapons Lawyer Toronto.
Even if you are legally carrying a weapon, you are required to state this to a policeman if they ask and if you fail to do so, you could be charged.
If you are a gun owner, you should be up to date with all of the local gun laws in your area. However, people end up in hot water when they are in an unfamiliar area and they don’t fully understand the laws. Criminal offenses involving weapons misconduct are naturally taken very seriously, so even if you only broke the law accidentally, you could still find yourself in a lot of trouble.
Fraud
If you are ever charged with fraud, you will find yourself in a very difficult situation if you don’t have the right legal representation. Criminal offenses of this nature often come down to circumstantial evidence and your criminal defense lawyer will be able to help you point out where the police investigation has gone wrong or they can highlight mistakes that investigators have made.
You may not realize it but it is actually possible to commit fraud by accident without knowing it. For example, if you make mistakes on your tax returns and pay less than what you owe, that is technically considered tax fraud until proven otherwise. Even something as simple as using a partner’s credit card without permission is technically fraud. Some people get caught up in online scams too and this can lead to legal problems. The good news is, the law states that it is only considered fraud if the person knowingly committed the offense. However, it’s up to you to prove that you didn’t know what was going on, and you’ll need a criminal defense lawyer to help you.
Self Defense Assault
If you are put in a dangerous situation, like somebody breaking into your home or attacking you on the street, your natural reaction is to defend yourself, but this could land you in legal trouble. If you hurt someone severely, the police are required to charge you with assault if that person makes a complaint against you. It’s up to you to prove that your actions were justified and that you aren’t guilty of assault.
Most people don’t realize it but the law states that, wherever possible, you should always try to avoid physical confrontation. If you feel like your life is in danger or the lives of other innocent individuals, then you are legally allowed to use force but it can lead to some serious legal problems and you may need to defend yourself in court.
Even average law-abiding citizens can find themselves in these situations without even realizing it. That’s why it’s important that you know how to find a good criminal defense lawyer when you need one. Hopefully, you will never need to use one but don’t make the mistake of thinking that it will never happen to you. If you are unprepared for legal challenges that are brought against you, the situation will be much worse. So, look into your local criminal defense lawyers, just in case.
