When you are facing a criminal charge in New Jersey, every step you take matters. While you may be at risk for substantial fines and jail time, you may also be able to avoid these consequences – or at least mitigate them – with a strategic defense. With this in mind, here are five costly mistakes that a Morristown criminal attorney can help you avoid:
Mistake #1: Saying the Wrong Thing
Saying the wrong thing can be incredibly costly. This includes saying the wrong thing to the police or the judge and saying the wrong thing to your friends, co-workers, or on social media. Failing to exercise your right to remain silent, pleading guilty and posting information that prosecutors can use against you are all mistakes that can be extremely difficult to overcome.
Mistake #2: Failing to Request a Jury Trial
If you have the right to a jury trial, should you request one? While requesting a jury trial is often the right choice, this is not always the case. If you fail to request a jury trial when it would be in your best interests to do so, you could increase your chances of a conviction.
On the other hand, if it is not in your best interest to go before a jury, you will want to stick with having your case tried by a judge. In this scenario, requesting a jury trial could lead to an unjust conviction that you will subsequently be forced to fight on appeal.
Mistake #3: Overlooking Opportunities to Protect Yourself
In addition to making an informed decision about whether to request a jury trial, you need to make informed decisions about many other aspects of your case as well. For example, should you seek entry into one of New Jersey’s diversionary programs? Do you have constitutional defenses that you can assert even though you may have committed the alleged crime? When your future is on the line, you cannot afford to overlook any opportunities to protect yourself.
Mistake #4: Overlooking the Consequences of a Conviction
Criminal convictions carry fines and jail time in New Jersey, but these are not the only potential consequences of being found guilty in court. A conviction can impact all aspects of your life, and you need to take this into account when building your defense.
Mistake #5: Waiting to See What Happens
Too often, people take a wait-and-see approach to their criminal cases. Usually, this is because either (i) they don’t know what to do to protect themselves, or (ii) they assume a conviction is a foregone conclusion. But, there are many things you can do to impact the outcome of your case, and being proactive about your defense is the best thing you can do for yourself, your family and your future.
Get a Free Consultation with Morristown Criminal Attorney Scott Gorman
Are you facing a criminal charge in New Jersey? If so, we encourage you to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with Morristown criminal attorney Scott Gorman right away. To find out what attorney Scott Gorman can do to fight your charge, call 973-796-3800 or tell us how we can reach you online now.
Published in Categories: Criminal Defense
