There are few things in life as stressful and unsettling as getting arrested. Fortunately, the legal system provides you with certain protections to preserve your right for a criminal defense when accused of a crime. Knowing those rights, how to exercise them, and what to expect after the arrest can help make your defense attorney's job simpler and the criminal justice system a little less frightening. Your basic rights when dealing with a criminal defense are:
Right against unreasonable search and seizure - the Fourth Amendment protects your person and your property from government search without valid reason. You have a right to privacy. In most cases, the police cannot search you, your home, your car or any other property without first seeking the permission of the court.
Right to remain silent - the Fifth Amendment gives you protection against self-incrimination. The police cannot force you to make statements that might be against your own best interests. And, should you choose not to make a statement, that cannot be held against you at trial. You need to take advantage your criminal defense rights.
Right to a criminal defense attorney - the Sixth Amendment guarantees you the right to be represented by legal counsel and/or a criminal defense attorney when suspected of a crime. You can have a defense attorney present during questioning by the police, and the courts must provide you with a defense attorney if you cannot afford one.
You can find a criminal defense attorney in alabama, alaska, arizona, arkansas, california, colorado, connecticut, delaware, florida, georgia, hawaii, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, louisiana, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, mississippi, missouri, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new jersey, new mexico, new york, north carolina, north dakota, ohio, oklahoma, oregon, pennsylvania, rhode island, south carolina, south dakota, tennessee, texas, utah, vermont, virginia, washington, west virginia, wisconsin, wyoming. State abbreviations are al, ak, az, ar, ca, co, ct, de, fl, ga, hi, id, il, in, ia, ks, ky, la, me, md, ma, mi, mn, ms, mo, mt, ne, nv, nh, nj, nm, ny, nc, nd, oh, ok, or, pa, ri, sc, sd, tn, tx, ut, vt, va, wa, wv, wi, and wy
Top u.s. cities with criminal defense attorneys are new york, los angeles, chicago, houston, philadelphia, phoenix, san diego, dallas, san antonio, detroit, san jose, indianapolis, san francisco, columbus, austin, baltimore, milwaukee, boston, district of columbia, el paso, seattle, denver, charlotte, fort worth, portland, oklahoma city, tucson, new orleans, las vegas, cleveland, long beach, albuquerque, kansas city, fresno, atlanta, sacramento, oakland, mesa, tulsa, omaha, minneapolis, honolulu, colorado springs.
More u.s. cities with criminal defense attorneys include: st. louis, wichita, santa ana, pittsburgh, arlington, cincinnati, anaheim, toledo, buffalo, st. paul, corpus christi, aurora, raleigh, newark, lexington fayette, anchorage, louisville, riverside, bakersfield, stockton, birmingham, jersey city, norfolk, baton rouge, hialeah, lincoln, greensboro, plano, rochester, glendale, akron, garland, madison, fort wayne, fremont, scottsdale, montgomery, shreveport, lubbock, chesapeake, mobile, miami, hollywood, des moines, grand rapids, richmond, yonkers, spokane, augusta richmond county, glendale, tacoma, irving, huntington beach, arlington, modesto, durham, boise, and winston salem.