If you are facing a criminal charge in Texas, you are in a serious situation, and you are well-advised to have a Gatesville criminal defense attorney on your side. Once you connect with an attorney who is a good fit for you, there are three critical questions that will help guide your case, and that can help provide you with some much-needed peace of mind.
Question 1: What Penalties Do I Face?
You are facing a specific criminal charge, and if convicted, you face specific penalties that are important for you to understand. The reason you have an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side, however, is to aggressively advocate for your legal rights – while in pursuit of your case’s optimal outcome. Nevertheless, facing your charge and its potential consequences from the outset can help you help your attorney strategize your strongest defense and is an important part of the process.
Question 2: What Are My Legal Options?
An important part of your pending case is understanding your legal options, which may include any one or more of the following:
Pleading not guilty and moving forward to trial with your strongest defense in tow
Striking a plea deal that decreases your charge, your sentence, or both
Striking a plea deal that ends with an alternative to jail time, such as a stint in drug or alcohol treatment, probation, home confinement, or a diversion program
Your next best steps will depend upon the circumstances of your case and your best defense strategy options.
Question 3: What Can I Do to Help My Case?
You and your criminal defense attorney are a team, which means that you are not a passive observer who is watching the scene unfold before you. Your criminal defense attorney will let you know how you can actively participate in your defense, but the first step is ensuring that you are fully engaged to begin with and that you are fully invested in strategizing your strongest defense with your attorney. Other ways you can participate may include:
Seeking counseling and/or drug or alcohol treatment that helps demonstrate that you take the matter at hand seriously
Providing your attorney with as much detail about the precipitating event (that led to you being charged) as you are able
Providing your attorney with the documentation that he or she requests
Recovering any records that help augment your defense
Seek the Professional Legal Guidance of an Experienced Gatesville Criminal Defense Attorney Today
If you are facing criminal charges, it is a serious matter with very serious potential consequences. Brett Pritchard at The Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard in Gatesville, Texas, is a well-respected criminal defense attorney whose practice focuses on helping clients like you prevail with beneficial case resolutions. Our dedicated legal team is on your side and here to help, so please do not hesitate to contact us online or call us at 254-501-4040 for more information about what we can do to help you today.
OTHER READING