Our Approach to Henrico County Criminal Cases
Due to the fact that criminal offenses are taken seriously in Henrico County, it is important that if you are charged you consult with an experienced attorney who is familiar with the local court system. The following is information on how a Henrico County criminal lawyer approaches criminal cases. To discuss your case call today and schedule a free consultation.
What Are Some Of The First Questions You Ask Potential Clients?
The first question I ask clients is what happened? In other words, what were the events that led up to this criminal charge. I need to know the specifics of what led up to the charge. For a DUI case – Where were they driving? What was the speed? What time of the night? If it is a drug case – Who were they with? Where were they? What did they say to the law enforcement officers? What did the law enforcement officers say to them? Did they give any statements written or otherwise? Was there any evidence taken? Did they give consent to a search of their property?
Next we want to know about our clients’ lives. We want to know their background, is there a criminal record, what do they do for a living, do they have children, what is their family situation like, and is there a substance abuse issue. Then third we want to look into witnesses or references who may speak on our client’s behalf.
Are There Any Questions That You Are Frequently Asked By Potential Clients in Henrico?
Most frequent questions we are asked is number one “Am I going to jail?” For obvious reasons the individuals want to know what their potential punishment could be. What we try and do is provide an honest assessment of the possible punishments that could result from their charges, whether they are jail, probation, fines or license suspension.
So What Are The Top Three Guiding Principles For You As A Criminal Lawyer?
The top three principles for me as a criminal defense attorney are:
- Number one to investigate the case and determine what sort of defenses are available, to find out all the facts that I can.
- Number two is to advocate for my client, advocate for the law, and build a solid defense that not only benefits my clients but takes their particular needs and concerns into consideration.
- And then lastly is to try and mitigate the damage to my clients.
We have a lot of cases where unfortunately individuals are guilty but it is a matter of trying to mitigate the damages the best we can as to avoid them receiving a harsh or maximum penalty. We work with clients to provide factors a court and prosecutor would consider as mitigating factors in sentencing. Are they in treatment for substance abuse? Do they do charity work? Do they do community service? Do they have children they support? Are they in the military? Could they lose their job if convicted or sentenced to jail? All of these factors are taken into consideration.