La Plata Maryland Criminal Lawyer
When you get arrested on suspicion of a crime, you risk losing many of the freedoms that you have taken for granted for your entire life. Your goal is to get things to go back to the way they were before you heard the police sirens and saw the flashing lights on the patrol car. Sometimes it is possible to get the charges dropped, and other times it is necessary to go to trial or to negotiate a plea deal and complete a sentence that is less than what you would have gotten if you had fought the charges. You have a much better chance of getting your charges dropped or avoiding jail time if you work with a La Plata Maryland criminal lawyer from the Law Office of Robert R. Castro.
La Plata Maryland Criminal Lawyer
What does a La Plata Maryland criminal attorney do? Everything your lawyer does is in the interest of protecting your rights as a defendant in a criminal case. These are some of the ways that a criminal lawyer in La Plata Maryland can help you when you are facing criminal charges:
- Protecting you against self-incrimination – The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees defendants the right not to be pressured into confessing to crimes or to saying things that the prosecution can use as evidence against them. (This is the “right to remain silent” in the Miranda warnings.) Therefore, you have the right to have your defense lawyer present during questioning. Your lawyer can advise you not to answer certain questions.
- Ensuring a fair trial – The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees defendants the right to a fair trial. Your lawyer will participate in the jury selection process and recommend the disqualification of jurors who seem like they will not give you a fair chance at trial.
- Ensuring a fair sentence – The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution forbids excessive punishment, whether in terms of monetary fines or prison sentences. Prosecutors and judges who want to boost their own popularity by appearing “tough on crime” might try to get you a tougher sentence than what your charges warrant, but both in negotiating plea deals and in sentencing hearings for defendants convicted at trial, your criminal defense lawyer will protect you from the worst punishments that the law allows.
In a criminal case, there are so many other details besides whether a defendant is innocent or guilty. Your lawyer might have to make a case for why the jury should or should not hear the testimony of a certain witness or whether the terms of your probation are excessively restrictive.
The Law Office of Robert R. Castro has been representing defendants in criminal cases in La Plata and throughout Charles County and the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. for nearly 30 years. The Law Office of Robert R. Castro is located at 2670 Crain Highway, Waldorf, MD 20601. You can also call us (301)705-5137 or contact us online.