If you’ve been arrested and you’re facing criminal charges, you’ll undoubtedly feel very eager to tell your side of the story to someone who will listen.
Maybe you feel that law enforcement officers should have listened at the time you were arrested, but they seemed to ignore what you tried to tell them about your situation. This can feel very frustrating, but remember that law enforcement officers are only interested in whether or not a crime was committed, and they leave the exact circumstances, motives, etc. up to the courts to sort out. That’s where your criminal defense lawyer can help.
When you sit down to discuss your case with a criminal defense lawyer, try to stay calm, listen carefully to your lawyer’s questions, and answer them honestly and concisely. Avoid going off on tangents or providing irrelevant answers to questions. If you don’t understand a question, ask your criminal defense lawyer to rephrase it. Make sure he or she understands all the aspects of your case, but he or she should be the one to decide what’s most relevant.
A skilled criminal defense lawyer will very adeptly arrive at and assess “your side of the story,” and then proceed to try to develop a reasonable defense. Your lawyer may sympathize with your situation, but don’t that isn’t really his or her job. If you treat your criminal defense lawyer as someone who will listen while you get things off your chest, you’re probably not going to make the most efficient use of your time.