How Do I Find the Best St. Paul Criminal Defense Attorney?

Facing serious criminal charges in St. Paul or anywhere else in Minnesota can be like a punch in the gut. It is hard to determine exactly how bad this could get. Even worse, when that first call from the police comes, you may not even know what to do. If you don’t take the call, doesn’t that make you look worse? If you do talk to them, what would you say? What should you say? What happens if you say the wrong thing? All of these are reasonable and important questions but they are also not questions you should be having with the police. The police are not here to help you or give you legal advice. They are here to try to figure out how to charge you with a crime and put you in a cell. What you need is a great St. Paul Criminal Defense Attorney. However, how do I find the right one? To help you decide, there is a long list of things you should expect from the best St. Paul Criminal Defense Attorney.  However, here are seven things you may or may not have thought about but should.

1. Has This Criminal Defense Attorney Handled Your Kind of Case?

Every criminal defense attorney pretty much starts from scratch. They graduate from law school and at some point they go into private criminal defense practice. Over time, they improve and gain experience handling various kinds of cases. Idealy, they learn their trade and over time, they become better and better. The question is, do you want a criminal defense attorney to be learning on the job . . . on your case? Of course not. You need a criminal defense attorney at the top of their game who knows what is coming so that you can benefit from that experience. 

2. Does This Criminal Defense Attorney Have Reviews to Show for Their Work?

Looking for an experienced criminal defense attorney, it is helpful to read reviews of that lawyer’s work.  Fortunately, this should be a pretty easy thing to do. You can go on Google or Avvo or simply type their name into a search. You will likely find reviews of that attorney or other references to their work. You may also find articles, publications, awards, media appearances and more. How do they perform. If they don’t have any of these, that may bring up the question about whether they have enough experience to handle your case. In the end, were other people happy with the work of this attorney? Did he help them? Can he help you?

3. How Will This Criminal Defense Attorney Handle Contact and Communications

Facing criminal charges is frequently more like a marathon than it is a sprint. The process takes time and grinds away at a pace that is often not convenient and it will test your patience. At the same time, as the appearances stack up and as your criminal defense attorney receives information, how do they get it to you? How often do you sit down and talk? Is it better on Zoom over just a phone call? Regardless, it is important to have consistent communication with your St. Paul criminal defense attorney. This way you can not only discuss the evidence that the state possesses but also how it may impact your comprehensive criminal defense. Further, along with preparing for a trial, negotiations should be happening simultaneously and these too must be discussed so you know your options. These stages can be critical and a great criminal defense attorney can help you understand how the evidence stacks up and the options your may take at each step. 

4. Does This Criminal Defense Attorney Know the Players?

There is an old maxim, “It’s not what you know but who you know.” While this isn’t totally true, it can be helpful, especially when it comes to the criminal justice system. After all, reputation is important and that reputation applies to judges, prosecutors, police officers and even to court administrations. Does the criminal defense attorney know who the judge is? How they rule? How good are they at evidence? Are they smart? Is that a good thing? How about Pleas? Trials? This kind of charge versus that kind of charge? These things really matter. Also, this is also true with the prosecutor? How about the cops? Connections matter and really knowing how things work can be extraordinarily helpful in determining the right criminal defense attorney for you. Again, does the criminal defense attorney know that players?

5. Can This Criminal Defense Attorney Help You Define What Winning Means?

This may seem like an odd skill requirement for a great St. Paul criminal defense attorney but it isn’t.  Figuring out how to win is always important.  At the same time, figuring out what winning means is also critical. Sometimes, it is a dismissal. Sometimes it is a “Not Guilty” at trial. Sometimes it is a negotiated lesser charge or less jail or no jail, etc.  What is frequently lost is that a great criminal defense attorney should be looking at all of these at the same time and working each one. This is important because it is about giving you the ultimate flexibility on where to take your case.

6. Can This Criminal Defense Attorney Help you Assess Risk?

When you are charged with a serious criminal defense in St. Paul or anywhere in Minnesota, every decision you make comes with risk. Do you negotiate with the prosecutor or do you go to trial? Can you win? Should you testify? What witnesses should you call? How aggressively should you attack the state’s witnesses? Some of them might be your loved ones. What would the jury think? How will the Judge sentence you if you are found guilty at trial versus if you negotiate a plea. These are all questions that a great St. Paul Criminal Defense Attorney must be thinking about and should be able to discuss with you. As importantly, what is the risk versus reward possible for each decision. This is complicated stuff but this is your life.

7. Is the Criminal Defense Attorney a Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist?

There are a lot of criminal defense attorneys in Minnesota. And yet, less than 3% are actually Board Certified Criminal Law Specialists. Having this designation makes them unique. This means not only do they have extensive criminal trial experience but they have had to pass additional Minnesota State Bar Association Board testing, have been vetted for experience, demeanor, responsiveness and ethics. They must also be recommended by Judges whom they have appeared before as well as prosecutors with whom they have conducted criminal trials. In the end, not all criminal defense attorneys are alike. This isn’t everything but it is one more assurance that you are getting the best.

In the end, after all of these questions are answered, choosing the best criminal defense attorney for you might still be a nebulous thing. It may still come down to a gut feeling. Just remember, you need somebody who can understand what you are going through and then has the skill to represent you through a very complex legal process to seek the outcome that you desire.  It isn’t simple but something that you need to do so that you have the right criminal defense attorney standing beside you during one of the most complicated and difficult times of your life.

If you are facing serious criminal charges in Minnesota, St. Paul based Criminal Defense Attorney Jack Rice is here to help. He is a Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist, former prosecutor, former U.S. Federal Agent, and Founder of Jack Rice Defense.  Check out his references, reviews, articles, appearances, work and what others say about him.  Then, and only then, contact Jack Rice Defense for a free confidential consultation or call 651-447-7650 or 612-227-1339.