If you’ve been charged with a crime, you’re going to need a defense attorney to represent you. Regardless of whether it’s a state crime, federal crime or a simple misdemeanor, a criminal lawyer in Portland, OR is going to be vital for you receiving the best possible outcome when it comes to court proceedings brought against you by the state or the federal government. However, choosing a criminal lawyer can be a bit more complicated than just picking a name out of the phone book or choosing an attorney you’ve seen an advertisement for.
The first thing to remember is that there are different types of criminal lawyers. Some lawyers work mainly state criminal cases. This is where the state in which you reside in or where you have been arrested in brings charges against you. In other instances, the federal government can bring criminal charges against you and this may require a different type of defense method. There are criminal attorneys that handle both state and federal charges and there are some that only work in one capacity as a criminal defense attorney. Knowing what you’ve been charged with will help you better narrow down your field choices.
In instances where you have been charged with DUI, which is typically a state derived criminal charge, a criminal lawyer in Portland, OR is going to be invaluable. Depending on the nature of the DUI, especially if it is your first offense and the DUI charge didn’t involve any injuries or accidents, a criminal lawyer may be able to plea bargain your charges down to a lesser charge to decrease the punishment for your offense. This is typically done because a criminal lawyer will have working relationships with prosecuting attorneys and often times they can bargain these friendships into a plea agreement that is more favorable for you as the client.
Whether you’ve been charged with a state or federal crime, if you live in the Portland area, you may want to get on your computer. Criminal lawyer in Portland, OR like The Law Office of Andrew M. Kohlmetz, LLC that can handles both personal injury and criminal cases, you can see the services they offer and schedule an appointment to discuss your case. Then you will know how you can proceed with your defense against what can be extremely serious charges.
