When you’re accused of a crime, the options in front of you can easily feel overwhelming. You may be getting pressure from the police to respond to their questions and it might seem as though the evidence against you is mounting. Choosing to accept that your fate is sealed before talking to a lawyer, however, is a mistake. Navigating instead to the opportunity provided by speaking directly with a Denver criminal defense lawyer can help you determine how to plead.
If you plead not guilty, your attorney will have the opportunity to conduct an investigation of all of the charges filed against you. Furthermore, your attorney should be involved in this process as soon as possible to review the evidence on which the prosecutor is basing his or her case against you. This will prove a critical point in your case and defense because your attorney will use the information that he or she learns to craft a compelling defense strategy.
From this point forward, your Colorado criminal defense lawyer will file pretrial motions and then prepare for trial. If it is in your best interests, however, to enter into a plea agreement negotiation or a deferred sentence, your attorney should keep you informed as he or she navigates this process so that you understand what is happening and can make an informed decision about your future.
In many Colorado criminal defense cases, an experienced and caring defense attorney may be able to resolve your case without it necessarily going to trial. In the event that you are unable to reach an agreement outside of trial, the judge will then allow it to move to a pre-trial hearing. Both sides will inform the judge about the case’s status and the judge will rule on any pre-trial motions not yet decided and determine whether both sides prepared to proceed to trial. Consulting with a Colorado criminal defense attorney is crucial when developing a plan for protecting yourself in court. There’s a lot on the line when it comes to a criminal conviction and you cannot afford to wait.