A person who has been arrested, whether on a serious charge or a relatively minor charge, is immediately faced with two critical decisions. The first decision is “How do I secure my release from custody as quickly as possible?” The second critical consideration, both long term and short term, is “How do I find a qualified criminal defense attorney?”
Very often the answer to the second question also answers the first. I will save a detailed discussion on posting bail for another article.
Selecting a qualified defense attorney might very well depend on whether the immediate intervention by the attorney is necessary or whether it is a minor case and therefore it will move more slowly through the courts and give the person arrested more time to seek out an attorney. Obviously, the person arrested on a serious felony where he is being held in custody requires immediate assistance. This creates a problem in finding that qualified attorney in a very short period of time.
Obviously, if you have had prior council, and were satisfied with his or her work, that is the attorney that should be contacted immediately. The second best way to find a qualified defense attorney is by reputation. Given the limited time you have to reach out to council, there are only a few ways with which this can be done. A referral from someone who is familiar with an attorney is your best immediate resource. There are a host of qualified attorneys that advertise on the internet, however, all attorneys, whether qualified or not, can advertise on the internet. A slick and attractive website does not necessarily translate into quality legal representation.
You might ask friends or family to contact their friends and family to see if they can make a recommendation to you. Fee, the cost of representation, should not be a major concern at this point. If you have selected an attorney and you are satisfied with that attorney, the fee involved should be a secondary consideration. Most attorneys will not charge you for initial consultations and would not charge you for work they do not perform on your behalf.
If you are bailed out or are released on your own recognizance, this will give you a lot of leeway to select the proper attorney at the right cost.
If you are arrested on a minor charge and are not incarcerated, or if you are released for whatever reason, you should take your time in selecting an attorney. You might seek recommendations from various friends and family, and if you do, you should visit a number of those lawyers to see who you believe might be the best representative for you. Keep in mind that you will be working very closely with this attorney and the relationship you have with him, the comfort zone, is very important.
The Suffolk County Bar Association has a Lawyer Referral Service which can be reached at (631)234-5577. You supply them with the nature of your legal problem, and they will supply you with a list of at least three attorneys who have received continuing legal education in that field. Interview all of them before selecting an attorney.
The internet contains not only websites posted by various law firms, but is a host of information on many individual lawyers. In other words, you might research the lawyer’s name and find the cases he has handled, the types of cases he or she has handled and other “general” information about the attorney you are considering. Our office limits its practice to criminal law, but we will, as a courtesy to the public, make referrals to other attorneys that practice in other fields of law. We do not act as a lawyer referral service, but only as assistance to our clients or potential clients.
The Law Office of Naiburg Obedin and Weissman can be reached at (631) 979-7777.