Benefits Of Hiring Private Defense - Video 1

Video 1 in a 4 part series.

For more information on this topic, find information at www.WittLegal.com.

Why should I hire a private criminal defense attorney?

Hiring a private criminal defense attorney can be costly. For good reason, people want to know if spending the money is worth it. For the experienced lawyer on the other end of the call, it's hard to get into all the details because you just "know" how things work and it's hard to articulate the benefits. Hopefully, these 4 videos will help you learn a little more about the differences between public defense and private defense. None of this is intended to be legal advice and is provided for the purpose of educating people about legal defense in general.

For each criminal charge, there will be unique benefits to hiring private counsel. No case is the same and THE UNIQUE FACTS MATTER. However, there are some general truths about public defense and private defense. The benefits will likely depend on the nature of your case as well as your criminal history.

For example, if you are arrested for DUI in Washington State, you are facing both a criminal charge and a civil suspension through the Department of Licensing. Public defense tax dollars can only be spent on a criminal defense matter. Therefore, even if you get advice before the deadline, you will still be on your own for that DOL hearing. If you lose the hearing, a private defense lawyer will tell you the steps you take to seek an alternative license so you can still drive during your suspension. If you do this on your own and mess it up, you can be facing yet another criminal charge of Driving While License Suspended and it will also make your original charge worse as far as options for resolution. For most people, if they can drive, they can work and continue to handle the financial challenges of a criminal charge. So, having experienced legal advice on this topic is a big benefit.

For an Assault charge that involves the domestic violence "tag," you are also facing a No Contact Order. Typically, those orders are in place for the entirety of the pending and even well beyond. If the defendant and victim do not agree with the officer's report and the subsequent prosecution of the case such that they do not believe an "assault" took place, there are some proactive steps both individuals can take to increase their odds that the NCO will be lifted. The public defender will not be assisting with that guidance.

For a Hit & Run charge, people are often surprised that Washington has an option that "forces" dismissal of the criminal case once a civil resolution is reached. Basically, the attorney can coordinate a resolution between the victim and the defendant. This resolution requires a dismissal. Public defenders could use this statute but it rarely happens. This is likely because it can take time...a lot of time. It is hard to find the victim, determine the damage, get authorization from relevant individuals/parties, draft the agreement, and get the exchange handled. Whenever possible, this is a great option for people who would prefer to have no criminal history.

Finally, we only touched on a few types of criminal charges and, to know the benefits for your criminal case, you have to reach out to a LOCAL defense attorney where you are facing the criminal charge. Lawyers are licensed in individual states and can't give advice outside of the state they are licensed. Additionally, the local attorneys will know the local rules, customs, and have worked with the prosecutors for years so they are much more likely to know how your case might actually resolve. Always go with LOCAL when it comes to criminal defense.

You can watch the four videos to learn all of the 20 or so benefits discussed and you can also read our blog on the same topic. https://wittlegal.com/blog/the-real-benefits-of-hiring-a-private-criminal-defense-lawyer

If you have a criminal charge in Kitsap County or the surrounding cities such as Bremerton, Poulsbo, Port Orchard, Bainbridge, or Gig Harbor, reach out to our firm for a consultation. Just remember, the end result is better when you hire defense attorneys EARLY regardless of where your case is.

www.WittLegal.com

Видео Benefits Of Hiring Private Defense - Video 1 канала Witt Law Group - Attorneys for Western Washington