Exploring Lawyer Services For Fighting Criminal Charges

Posted on: 2 July 2015

If you have been charged with drug possession or distribution, you need to contact a lawyer immediately. Drug charges are serious and could lead to years in prison. Proper representation can at least get you a lighter sentence. Here is everything you need to know about interacting with your lawyer and the public while working on your case.

1. Make an e-mail account specifically for the case

Making  a new e-mail account isn't required by any means, but it can be helpful. If you are the type of person who gets dozens of spam messages that you rarely dig though, causing e-mails to become buried, a separate e-mail account is a good idea. You won't have to worry about overlooking important and time sensitive correspondence. Another good reason to make a separate e-mail is if you use your work e-mail for your personal e-mail too. Even if your work e-mail isn't regularly monitored, your company can read the e-mails any time they want. It's best to keep the private matter contained within a private e-mail account.

2. Don't get legal advice from a non-lawyer

Just because a friend has been through something similar or your mailman's cousin is a paralegal doesn't mean that they should be giving out legal advice. Only lawyers can give legal advice. You don't want to frighten yourself or make a wrong decision because you received bad advice. If you are second guessing something a lawyer said to you, you can ask another lawyer for a second opinion. Lawyers aren't allowed to speak to anyone about information you give them, so talking to more than one lawyer won't hurt your case.

3. Don't post on social media

You don't have to close your social media accounts because of your case, but be sure not to post anything about your case on social media. Don't mention anything about your charges, being arrested, any other people involved, or any of the court hearings. The internet is forever. Even if you delete something later, someone can screen shot or save one of your posts before you hit the delete button. Don't post anything you wouldn't want a judge or jury to see, or anything you wouldn't want posted in the newspaper.

4. Don't hold back

Your lawyer cannot adequately prepare for your trial if you don't tell him or her everything there is to know about the case. One big mistake that people make is withholding small details because they don't think that those details are important. You need to walk your lawyer through every small thing that happened during the time you were arrested. The most miniscule detail can be crucial to your case. A comment a police officer made, something he or she didn't do during the arrest, something a friend did, or something else can change your case. A small detail can give you less jail time, a lesser charge, or even an acquittal if you're lucky.

5. Make a good impression in the court room

Don't walk into the court room looking like your lawyer scraped you off of the street. If you don't dress and talk with respect, the judge isn't going to want to be lenient. Presenting yourself as a proper Canadian citizen will help the jury have sympathy as well.

Do:

• Dress in cleaned and iron clothes
• Use good posture when sitting and standing
• Give anyone who is speaking your full attention
• Turn off your cell phone

Don't:

• Interrupt
• Chew gum
• Bring young children
• Say anything your lawyer hasn't instructed you to say

It's important to handle your case with care. Drug crimes are serious offenses and you can't take that lightly. Get a drug offence lawyer immediately and speak to him or her with full disclosure. Don't discuss your case with anyone except your lawyer and your parents, and make a good impression when you go to court. Your lawyer will handle the rest.