By Bo Kalabus
www.rosenthalwadas.com;
b.kalabus@rosenthalwadas.com
24-hour Jail Release: 214-402-4364

1) Talking

Usually immediately following an arrest comes an investigation. Remember always that a person charged with a crime has the right to remain silent. Giving an investigator details about the alleged crime may ultimately hurt their case for a variety of reasons. For example, due to the emotional nature of the event a person may say something they don’t necessarily mean that can hurt them in the long run for being taken out of context, or the person may admit to something that they did not do. Not matter how much a person thinks-“I got this” they don’t.

2) Not consulting with an attorney

Things will happen quickly in a criminal investigation. Having competent legal counsel by your side from the beginning will assure that the arrested person’s rights are protected and vital evidence is saved. For example, in a assault case, the arrested person might actually be the victim instead of the aggressor and the person can provide evidence of it in the form of injuries they sustained. A competent attorney will make sure those injuries are documented in photographs before they are healed.

3) Ignoring the case

Being arrested is a humiliating and horrible experience. But, you can’t sit by and think it will go away by itself. If left alone, the situation will worsen significantly because the District Attorney’s office will not ignore the case. The DA has an aggressive unit of prosecutors that will want to seek the highest punishment available against a person charged with AFV.  The prosecutor is playing with house money and they want to get a conviction. The longer a person waits the more rights and opportunities are lost. Before long, the person will have painted themselves into a corner with little or no options available.

4) Making a quick decision

As with any decision for a defendant involved in a criminal case, speed hurts. Usually rushing to get a bad memory behind you can be a very bad strategy for a criminal case. Attitudes regarding the arrest can change over time and usually the best outcomes occur deep into the defense of a case.

5) Don’t Panic

An arrest for any crime is an extremely traumatic event. A person has stress over concerns for their spouse, children, job, and anxiety from fear of the unknown. I understand this and will provide you with as many options for your case as we can under the circumstances.