If I’m Charged with a Crime, What are Some of my Most Important Rights?
If you get arrested by the police, a lot of things are going to be coming ar your very very quickly. The least of which is what this could do to your future, to your life. One of the things you may not be thinking about tis the rights you possess and how you deal with what is coming. This is a fundamental reason why you need to sit down with an experienced Minnesota criminal defense attorney. They can tell you what is coming and what you can do about it.
“The police will move quickly to arrest and prosecute you. They will likely spend very little time telling you about your rights, if any at all. You need to know these rights. They may be everything.”
What Rights May Really Matter?
If you are accused of a serious crime in Minnesota, it is critical to understand what you can do about it. Knowing your rights is the first step. Some of your most important rights include:
Your right to remain silent: You have the right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself. You probably know this one from TV and the media. Make sure you exercise your right to remain silent. You do not have to answer any questions that may be asked by the police or other government officials.
Your right to an attorney: You have the right to an attorney of your choosing. Your attorney will represent you, protect your constitutional rights and defense you at every step of the process.
Your right to be know the charges against you: You have the right to know the charges against you. You also get to know the underlying evidence that the state has they they intend to use to support that prosecution.
Your right to a fair and impartial trial: You have the right to have a trial by a Jury or by a Judge. Both must be impartial and unbiased against you. This is sometimes harder than you might think. An experienced criminal defense attorney can help here.
Your right to confront and cross-examine witnesses: You have the right to cross-examine witnesses who testify against you. This means that your attorney can cross examine them on their testimony as well as any other evidence they may try to introduce in court to support your prosecution.
Your right to present evidence: You have the right to present evidence in your defense. This includes the right to call all of your own witnesses as well as your right to take the stand in your own defense. In fact, if you don’t take the stand, the juf=dge or jury can hold that fact against you either.
A good defense attorney can use your rights as a shield to defend you and as a sword to goat rehouse trying to support your prosecution.”
Knowing your rights is the critical first step in preparing a strong criminal defense. Once you understand this, you then build toward defending you in your case. This applies to the evidence that will be admissible as well as determining what evidence you can present in order to defend you. As you can see, having an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side is everything at this stage.
Go with the Best
Jack Rice is a nationally known and respected criminal defense attorney. Jack is also a former prosecutor, a former CIA Officer and a Bard Certified Criminal Law Specialist. Jack is also the Founder of Jack Rice Defense, a boutique criminal defense firm based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Contact Jack Rice Defense for a free confidential consultation or call 651-447-7650 or 612-227-1339.