Competent legal representation can mean the difference between liberty or death when you have been criminally charged in Missouri. Your goal should be to identify a trusted and seasoned St. Louis defense lawyer who is committed to fighting for your freedom. Here are some of the key qualities that make an excellent criminal defense attorney.
Investigative Capability
An experienced St. Louis lawyer will know from the moment they take up your case that they are racing against time. Chances are that the police would have already investigated your case for a significant amount of time, and even the district attorney’s office may have been briefed already or may have started preparing.
Gathering of information, facts and evidence that weaken the prosecution’s case and cast a serious shadow of doubt on the charges against you lies at the heart of your defense. A dedicated criminal defense lawyer in St. Louis will have the focus, commitment, and resources to launch a comprehensive investigation to support your defense.
Art of Negotiation
You need a St. Louis lawyer for your criminal defense who is a skillful negotiator. A less experienced lawyer might assume that negotiation involves whining, begging, or pleading. These tactics are bound to boomerang.
The real art of negotiating in criminal defense involves just two things:
(a) What do you truly deserve as a criminal defendant
(b) What are the chances of getting convicted if your case goes to trial (how strong is your case).
An experienced St. Louis defense lawyer will negotiate on your behalf based on these two critical factors. They will look for weaknesses in the prosecution’s case so that your negotiating position becomes stronger. They will obfuscate (within the rules of the court, of course) the prosecution’s attempts to convict you, or even create doubt in the minds of the jury where possible, challenge the conduct of the police, and identify witnesses and evidence that expose inconsistencies in prosecution’s claims. That’s how negotiations are won in criminal defense cases.
Deep Legal Knowledge
When your St. Louis lawyer has deep legal knowledge and expertise in criminal defense law, they might provide you with a strong technical legal defense. While police in Missouri, and in general, are skilled at investigations, road patrol police officers are often less adept than their detective bureau counterparts.
Your defense attorney can question the initial attitude and approach of the police, show the crudeness or lackluster police interaction, or challenge the documents, paperwork and procedure of said officers. Strong technical defense can put the prosecution under pressure, which will increase your ability to negotiate or have the case against you entirely dismissed.
Trial Experience
The ability to win at trial is clearly the most important skill that your St. Louis lawyer should have, but it is also the toughest to find in prospective St. Louis defense attorneys. Your attorney should have the capacity, resources and methodology to do a thorough preparation within the tightest of timelines. The best criminal defense attorneys are the ones who excel under pressure. The stress and challenge of a criminal trial, where things are not in your control, brings out the best in these lawyers.
Hire a Top-Rated St. Louis Defense Lawyer Today
At Miller & Hine, our team excels in all four areas: investigating, negotiating, technical defense, and trial defense. If you are looking for a tenacious criminal defense attorney in St. Louis, talk to us today for a free consultation. Call us at (314) 413-2053 or write to us online.