Where and what are the defenses for your clients charged with a crime in Montana? They are in the details of the facts, knowledge of the law, and strategies of using both. Each attorney is different, of course; but being able to see the finer points of defense work requires skill and experience that some may not have or be willing to acquire. This is where using a criminal defense attorney with this experience and knowledge improves your criminal practice and yields noticeable results for your business and clients.
Criminal defense attorneys stay busy. Court dates drive their calendars. Deadlines for omnibus hearings are ever-looming. Demands from clients are constant. Staff and logistical issues arise. The time to delve into the State’s discovery is sometimes pushed to the side, and the time to discover what evidence the State possesses but did not provide can take even more discipline. For many attorneys, engaging in useful motion practice is a chore, an undesirable task–not to mention staying updated on court decisions on a host of issues from around the State and United States. In many cases, this prevents the attorneys from preparing for and treating their cases as if they are going to trial–which is really how each case should be handled. In the end, if defense attorneys cannot delve into the details of discovery and motion practice, the clients suffer.
Not all cases result in dismissal or acquittal.That goal is not always a reality. Thus, most clients are placed in compromising situations where their lives hang in the balance. If convicted of what the State has originally charged, the defendants and their families will suffer for years. They believe they want to take the matter to a jury trial, but there is still a chance of losing, depending on the composition of the jury. Thus, when an offer comes their way, there is a great temptation to accept the offer for no other purpose than to mitigate their risks. Many clients feel they have little to no bargaining power too, since the State has many more resources to spend on prosecuting the case. If the client does not have great confidence in his attorney, this makes their experience that much more stressful and intimidating.
But clients need not feel this way, and their attorneys should prevent this feeling as much as possible. In truth, criminal defendants have many tools to help their client’s case, including ways to reduce the charges and potential sentences as much as possible given the circumstances. Some attorneys think that to get this result they have to be “buddy-buddy” with the prosecution. Being professional is a must in the practice of law, but what helps clients more than this is being good at criminal defense–being very prepared to argue the case and persuade the prosecutor, judge and ultimately the jury.
When the prosecutor knows there is something to lose, he or she will be more inclined to negotiate an amicable result. Unfortunately, most prosecutors are at times reluctant to see the weakness in their own cases—some do not even look at their case until a time too late for meaningful defense strategies. This is where an aggressive and prepared defense attorney makes the difference. This is the kind of criminal practice that yields results for the client, improves the defense attorney’s reputation and makes the State question whether a heavy prosecution approach is worth the expense.
When the State seeks to deprive people of their liberty, the defendants deserve not only representation but effective representation. An attorney cannot dabble in criminal defense. People’s lives and liberty are at stake. This is where having an attorney, like Tim Baldwin, on your side can and will help you defend your clients. The benefits are obvious, for you and your client. Use an attorney whose passion and expertise is criminal defense. You and your clients will be glad you did.
