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Why Hire a Criminal Defense Attorney?

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May 21, 2020

One of the most common questions posed to individuals who are faced with criminal charges is whether or not they should hire a criminal defense attorney. One deterring factor can certainly be the cost associated with hiring a lawyer, however, in many cases that cost is minor compared to the life-changing costs that can occur without the proper defense. Below are just a few reasons that hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney is crucial.

Criminal-Defense-Attorney-2A Maryland criminal defense attorney understands how the system works.

Probably the primary reason to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney is that they understand how the courts work. Even people who have been through the system before can find themselves overwhelmed and confused when dealing with a criminal case, or even just a criminal investigation.  An experienced criminal defense attorney understands how the courts and the legal process works.

Our job as experienced criminal defense attorneys is not just to successfully lead you through the process, we also keep you educated as to what is happening and why. Understanding the process, and being guided through it by veteran criminal trial lawyers helps remove the fear and uncertainty of the process.

Criminal defense lawyers have built relationships with prosecutors

An experienced criminal defense lawyer should have ongoing relationships with the prosecutors in the cases they are handling. While it is not always possible to be familiar with every prosecutor in every county or federal court, an attorney’s reputation follows them.  If they have worked in the field for many years, handled high-profile cases, and have performed skillfully and ethically, they will have good working relationships with prosecutors.

Some people may fear that if their attorney is “friendly” with the prosecutor, their attorney won’t fight as hard for them; this is actually the opposite of the truth. Experienced criminal defense attorneys act like professionals, and the relationships they build over their careers may allow them to negotiate a better plea (if it is what the client wants to do).

Criminal defense attorneys have specific experience with criminal cases.

Just because someone is a lawyer does not qualify them to do criminal defense work. You would not have your primary care doctor perform open-heart surgery on you; both are doctors, but they are trained differently and have different skill sets.  This is also the case with lawyers.  An experienced criminal defense attorney will have tried a variety of criminal cases over many decades.

A criminal defense lawyer can protect your future.

Everyone knows that a criminal conviction can put you in jail and result in heavy fines.  Unfortunately, it can also affect your ability to keep your job, your home, your family, and your reputation.  A conviction for certain crimes (sex offenses, child pornography, etc.) can result in a defendant being required to become registered as a sex offender.  Even a conviction for a relatively minor charge (i.e. a second-degree assault) may prevent a defendant from owning or possessing a firearm.

A conviction for a misdemeanor theft charge, while it may not result in any jail time, is a “crime of moral turpitude”, otherwise known as a crime of dishonesty. Even a petty theft conviction could result in the inability to obtain a job, keep the job you have, and may affect any licensure issues by Federal, State, or local governments.  As experienced criminal defense attorneys, we can protect your freedom, your job, your reputation, and your future rights.

Hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney can actually save you money.

Perhaps it doesn’t make sense to think that a more expensive lawyer will save you money in the long run, but it has almost always shown to be true.  Even if the difference between an experienced criminal defense attorney and some other lawyer seems substantial, it is easy to question why the experienced criminal defense lawyer is worth the extra money.  The reality is that you only get one chance to manage your criminal case right! There is no “reset button”, so make your defense count.

What is a single day of your life in jail worth? A month? A year? Keep in mind that in addition to jail time, you cannot calculate your loss simply by months spent in jail.  You must also factor in how many years of earning potential would be destroyed if you are stripped of a professional license, your certification, or even just your job in a position that your employer can’t hold for you? The cost of not handling your criminal case correctly needs to be calculated in how much it will have cost you 10 years from now, not what it may cost you today.

A criminal defense attorney can spot law enforcement’s mistakes

Many people believe they know what their rights are; much of this information is obtained from television and movies.  Like many things that people think they know, most people do not have the training and experience in constitutional law to spot the mistakes that are being made by police during an investigation and/or arrest.

In our modern world, most cases involve video footage from crime scenes, victim and witness interviews, and in many jurisdictions, even body cameras worn by the police on their uniforms.  The video behavior engaged in by police is analyzed by an experienced criminal defense attorney and mistakes are almost always found.  Additionally, an experienced criminal defense attorney will review any warrants and/or charging papers in your case to find each and every defense to the charges.

Craig M. Kadish, Esquire, the managing partner of Craig M. Kadish & Associates, LLC has worked for years as a professor and instructor of constitutional law at the Maryland State Police Academy, trained law students and been a guest lecturer and trainer for other law enforcement agencies.  Being the person who has trained the police in areas of constitutional law, we are in a unique position to assert your defenses to mistakes made by the police.

A criminal defense attorney can prepare you for what to expect

Some people charged with a criminal case believe they know what to expect, others have no idea at all.  In either situation, an experienced criminal defense attorney will review all of the evidence in your case with you and go over possible outcomes.  While some lawyers may “sugar coat” the situation to a client in order to placate them (only for the client to be shocked when they are convicted and sentenced) the experienced Maryland criminal defense attorneys at Craig M. Kadish & Associates, LLC are in our fourth decade of preparing clients for trial in thorough and innovative ways, always making certain that the client is in the loop and has realistic expectations of what to expect.

Craig M. Kadish & Associates, LLC is the first choice when seeking out an experienced criminal defense attorney in State or Federal Courts. Schedule your complimentary consultation today.

Craig M. Kadish - Criminal Defense Attorney Maryland

Craig Kadish

With 30 years of experience and a lengthy track record of success, Craig Kadish has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s most highly sought after criminal defense attorneys. Mr. Kadish has practiced criminal law for three decades, winning an array of high-profile cases. He has had the honor of being recognized both locally and nationally for his dedication, diligence, and prowess in representing clients in exacting and innovate ways. He’s known as a leader in his field. His tenure as a criminal defense attorney and law professor has given him invaluable expertise that few other attorneys possess.

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