BERGEN COUNTY NJ CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS
If you face criminal charges in New Jersey, the consequences can be severe. Criminal allegations and even more serious traffic violations occurring in Bergen County and statewide have the potential for far-reaching implications. Whether it’s a first-time DWI charge or a murder indictment, the outcome of your case can impact you and your family for years to come. The most important decision you might ever make when facing a criminal allegation is your choice to hire an attorney, as you place your freedom and your future in your lawyer’s hands. You may be wondering if perhaps you should attempt to handle the case on your own. This is a valid question, but keep in mind that the criminal system is fraught with complexity.
Why to Hire a Criminal Defense Attorney for Your Case
Each criminal charge comes with its own set of unique elements, common forms of evidence that may be used to prove it, issues regarding evidence retrieval and your rights in the course of the investigation, and effective defenses that may be used to have the charges reduced or dismissed. Foregoing knowledgeable and skilled legal counsel puts you at a disadvantage when up against prosecutors whose job it is to know these things and to prove their case against you. Capitalizing on what you don’t know is a slam dunk for the prosecution when you are the average person who runs into legal trouble. However, you can combat and correct this balance of power by finding the best criminal defense lawyer to handle your case, from the first stage of the process to the last.
Enlisting help from a criminal attorney whose entire practice is dedicated to defending the rights of the accused may seem like a challenging task, but this critical step forward can lead to massive savings for you in the years to come. Whether you avoid a criminal record, avoid jail or prison time, reduce your exposure to fines and court fees, keep your driver’s license, and keep your reputation intact, these are just some of the many ways in which your lawyer can successfully resolve your case to your benefit.
When to Enlist Help from a Criminal Justice Lawyer
Once you have been arrested and charged with a crime, getting in touch with a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible is critical. At the outset of the case, you want to make sure that you thoroughly understand the charges against you, what they mean and what to expect from the legal process ahead. There will be many opportunities to position yourself favorably and ensure that your rights are not violated along the way, a job that your attorney can do to the fullest extent. The first step is often seeking a free consultation, during which you can speak with a lawyer about the criminal charge or charges specific to your situation and the penalties you face if convicted. You probably have questions like: Will this impact my criminal record? Can I lose my job? Can this be used against me in a divorce or child custody battle that I’m involved in? Can this affect my immigration status? Finding answers to your particular questions is simple when you get in touch with the Bergen County criminal defense team at The Tormey Law Firm.
After you have a complete understanding of the crimes alleged in your case, you will want to be prepared for the upcoming court appearances and hearings that come next. Depending on the scenario, you may even be held in jail pending a bail decision, with the potential to result in your continued detention throughout the criminal legal process. Having a lawyer to defend you and argue for your release at the outset of the case if necessary is essential. This is also true when dealing with police questioning and the other opportunities that can either jeopardize your future, or help to support your innocence moving forward.
In essence, don’t go it alone. Be prepared with a criminal lawyer who can walk you through all of the stages of the process, provide you with a thorough understanding of the punishments associated with a finding of guilt, examine all of the evidence that may and may not be used against you, investigate all of your available options toward a complete dismissal or reduction of the charges, and dedicate themselves to reaching the best result. This is sometimes done by way of a favorable plea agreement, which can only be achieved by a skilled negotiator. It may also be done by securing your admission into a diversionary program that ultimately allows for the charges to be dismissed, in which case you’ll need to determine your eligibility and possibly override any presumptions against your entrance based on the charges, or objections by the prosecutor assigned to your case. And perhaps most significantly, you may be proven innocent after litigating the case at trial, necessitating the experience of a battle-tested criminal trial lawyer.
Why Experience and Qualifications Matter when Defending Your Innocence
At the Tormey Law Firm, with local Bergen County offices conveniently located in Hackensack, New Jersey, across the street from the Hackensack Municipal Court and just steps from the Bergen County Courthouse, our primary goal is to aggressively protect our clients’ rights en route to achieving the best possible outcome. We concentrate solely on criminal defense and DWI cases in order to maximize the depth and breadth of our knowledge and to remain at the forefront of current case law in these highly complex areas of practice. With aggressive trial attorneys and former prosecutors included on our defense team, as well as expert resources including a former state trooper, a lawyer who handled gun permit appeals for several police departments, and a former member of the domestic violence unit at one of the county prosecutor’s offices, we combine everything we know to deftly navigate the system and deliver top results to our clients.
