|
Choosing a Criminal Defense Attorney
Trust
Trust is probably the single most
important factor in choosing a criminal defense lawyer
to represent you. Also, you want someone who is honest,
listens, and cares about you and your case.
Do I like him?
All things being equal, I do
business with people I like. Take your time and talk
with the lawyer in person. See if he looks you in the
eye, shakes your hand firmly, and makes you feel at
ease. If you can't meet him in person, go with your gut
feeling after speaking with him on the phone. If you
don't feel comfortable, go on to the next one.
Price
Price is probably one of the worst
criteria to choose the right criminal defense attorney
for you. You get what you pay for. If a lawyer is cheap,
there's a reason. Especially with your freedom, you
don't want to have the cheapest lawyer representing you.
Experience
Experience is a factor. You
certainly want a lawyer to have some criminal defense
experience. Many excellent criminal defense attorneys
have a lot of experience. However, an experienced
criminal lawyer might also be a horrible lawyer. You
don't want to be stuck with a horrible, yet experienced,
lawyer. Your freedom is in his hands. Some older, yet
experienced, lawyers may not be up for the fight. Jury
trials require a criminal lawyer to be on his toes all
the time, have knowledge of criminal procedure, case
law, jury instructions, know when to make objections and
when to shut up.
Communication
A great criminal defense lawyer
listens and gives you straightforward answers to your
questions. Also, he must memorize vast amounts of
material, condense it and then effectively communicate
it to the jury. The lawyer must speak plain language to
be an effective communicator. Many lawyers use big words
that some people don't understand. That's not
communicating. That is being arrogant and ignorant.
Guarantees
Beware of lawyers that guarantee a
particular result. While you understandably would want a
guarantee as to the outcome, it is unethical for any
lawyer to do so. The only thing I guarantee is that I
will do everything in my power (both legally and
ethically) to fight the criminal charges against you.
Low-Volume Practice
Does the lawyer have the time to
devote to your case? I have a low-volume practice, so I
can give clients the individualized attention that they
deserve. I don't send out mailers to people who get
arrested. If you've been arrested, you know exactly what
I am talking about. You probably got 50 or more
solicitations from lawyers, some of them not even
criminal defense lawyers, who want your money. I do not
send out direct mail solicitations. Why? I do not like
receiving direct mail, so I'm not going to send you any.
My clients are people who do not respond to direct mail.
They are more astute. Most of my clients are referrals
from other lawyers and former clients.
When I was a former assistant
public defender in Palm Beach county, I handled over
1,000 cases. Typically, I handled 50 to over 100 cases
at a time. It is difficult to work cases up like they
should be worked up with such a high-volume.
Unfortunately, the legislature has determined that
spending money to hire more assistant public defenders
is not high on their priority list. Some private lawyers
have associates that do all the work on their cases.
That enables them to be a high-volume practice and make
more money. It is impossible for me to be in two places
at the same time. Sometimes, I have another lawyer stand
in for me, but only to reset the case to when I can be
there. When you hire me, you get me.
Criminal Trial Lawyer
You want a lawyer who takes cases
to trial and doesn't charge extra for it. Many lawyers
that call themselves trial lawyers have not tried a case
in front of a jury in years. I have tried over 100 jury
and non-jury trials to verdict.
Continuing Legal Education
You deserve a lawyer who keeps up
with changes in the law. The Florida Bar requires
lawyers to have 30 continuing legal education credits
every three years. Every year, I exceed the required
amount of CLE credits. I have almost three times the
required amount of CLE credits for the last three years.
I even teach other lawyers about special jury
instructions at conferences like the national NORML (www.norml.org)
conference in Key West, Florida.
Only Practices Criminal Defense
You want a lawyer who practices
exclusively in the area of criminal defense.
Passionate
You deserve a lawyer who is
passionate about his work. To some lawyers, their career
is just a job. It is a way to pay the mortgage. I have a
mortgage to pay as well. However, I wake up every day
looking forward to defending the bill of rights and the
Constitution. I love my career. If I won the lottery, I
would still practice criminal defense. No kidding.
You are still reading? Ok, I will
tell you what my grandpa Paps used to tell me. Paps was
a decorated World War II veteran who stormed the beaches
at Normandy. I lived with my grandparents when I was a
teenager and learned a great deal from them. Anyway,
Paps always told me "When I was in the military, they
taught us - you have to tell 'em what you're gonna tell
'em, then tell 'em, and then tell 'em what you told 'em."
So here it is:
Trust
Trust is probably the single most
important factor in choosing a criminal defense lawyer
to represent you in criminal court. Also, you want
someone who is honest, listens, and cares about you and
your case.
Contact Grey Tesh
How to choose the top criminal
lawyer
Choosing a criminal defense attorney
Top palm beach criminal lawyer
aaacriminaldefense.com has its principal office at 1610 Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach, Florida, Mr. Tesh represents clients charged with serious federal criminal offenses before Federal Criminal Courts in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Stuart, Martin County, Port St. Lucie, Vero Beach, Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, Tallahassee, and all federal courts throughout the United States of America.
How to
choose the top criminal lawyer, choosing a criminal
defense attorney, top palm beach criminal lawyer, guide
to choosing a good lawyer, how to find a good lawyer,
finding a great attorney, help me find a lawyer, help
finding a florida attorney, choose the best lawyer for
you, find my perfect lawyer, Federal crimes lawyer, federal criminal attorney, west palm beach criminal lawyer, west palm beach criminal defense, fort lauderdale federal lawyer, west palm beach, florida, fort pierce criminal lawyer, federal criminal defense attorney, Miami federal criminal lawyer, federal lawyer west palm beach, florida attorney, west palm beach lawyer, attorney, federal appealsIf convicted, you have only ten (10) days in
Federal Court, as opposed to thirty (30) days in Florida, to file a notice of appeal. If you want to appeal a conviction, you must
contact a Federal criminal appeals attorney immediately as time is of the essence.
|