When a police officer decides that you’ve committed a felony, your arrest is just the beginning. Once you’re fingerprinted, photographed, and processed into the system, your case takes on a life of its own.
After your arraignment, bail consideration, and other formalities, you’ll enter a pretrial timeline. You could negotiate a plea deal during the early stages or you could end up going through a process that takes days, weeks or months before you know your fate. In the meantime, you should at least know what to expect. Here are five things to consider.
1. You are the biggest factor in your case
Each case is different with different facts and circumstances that affect the ultimate outcome. The biggest difference between one case vs another is the person charged with the crime.
When you’re charged with a felony, a judge and jury will assess the evidence but before they make a decision, they will also assess you. Even if you sit silently, they will look at the way you’re dressed and evaluate your personal grooming. They will notice how you react to what’s going on around you. They will watch you and decide if you look or act like a criminal. Only then will they decide your fate.
2. You need a legal strategy
If you’ve been charged with a felony, that means that someone somewhere has decided that the charges could be true. Once a felony case reaches that point of no return, you’ll need a legal strategy to help you reach the best possible outcome.
Even if you know a lot about the criminal justice system, you need a criminal attorney to tell you about the things you don’t know. You need an attorney who is willing to guide you through the legal system, protect your interests, and talk to you about making the tough decisions.
3. You shouldn’t expect a surprise ending
If you haven’t resolved your felony charges during the pretrial process, don’t expect a last minute miracle. When the court tries your case it won’t be anything like you’ve seen on TV. There will be no surprise witnesses. The prosecutor won’t surprise you by changing his mind about the charges. The judge won’t likely dismiss your case on a technicality. No one will come forth to exonerate you at the last minute. You need a defense strategy.
4. Convicted felons never finish paying their debt to society
As a convicted felon, you’ll never pay your criminal debt. The criminal justice system will remove you from everything you know and love. They’ll make sure you endure maximum prison time and pay the maximum fines. You’ll serve your time and an extended probationary period but the punishment will never stop.
When you’re released into the real world, you’ll deal with a lifetime of personal restrictions, persecutions, and social punishments. You may struggle to find a job, support your family, and live a normal life.
5. You need information, not optimism
If you’ve been charged with a felony, you don’t need optimistic strategies that probably won’t work. At Sadler Law Group, we understand that you need information and honest options. That’s why we review police documents, witness information, and any other available evidence.
We evaluate strategies and we outline realistic choices. We understand that it’s your future, so we provide the information you need to arrive at the solution that best serves your interests.
Contact Sadler Law Group
If you’ve been charged with a felony crime, you need an honest attorney who will help you navigate the tough realities of the criminal justice system. Our attorneys work with you to design a personalized defense strategy. We help you reach the best possible outcome by explaining all of your options and by telling you the truth.
Contact Sadler Law Group at (203) 951-1360 or complete our contact form to schedule a consultation.
