McHenry Criminal Lawyer
If you have been charged with a crime, time is of the essence. Immediate representation is essential to protect your rights or have the charges dropped before your arraignment.
A criminal arrest or trial is a frightening, stressful and confusing ordeal. A criminal conviction can permanently damage your reputation, education prospects, livelihood and freedom. Having an experienced, knowledgeable attorney like me, Scott W. Brammer, can help you through this difficult time and assist you in achieving the most favorable outcome possible.
Do I Need To Hire A Criminal Attorney?
It is always a good idea to retain legal counsel if you have been charged with a crime. Even a misdemeanor conviction can result in steep fines or jail time up to one year. A conviction can also have collateral consequences, such as the loss of a professional license, ineligibility for student loans or welfare benefits, loss of voting rights, denied entry to Canada, loss of gun rights and more. Therefore, it is in your best interests to hire a lawyer, no matter the criminal charge.
When Should I Hire A Criminal Attorney?
It’s important to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney in the early stages of your criminal case. Ideally, you should hire an attorney as soon as possible after you’ve been arrested and before formal charges have been filed. If the case against you is weak, your attorney may be able to negotiate with the prosecutor for dismissal before charges are formally filed at your arraignment.
If you show up at your arraignment without legal representation, a court-appointed public defender will be assigned to your case. But at this point, it’s already too late to attempt to have the charges against you dropped.
How Can The Law Office of Scott W. Brammer Help You?
My firm represents defendants in misdemeanor and felony cases, including drug cases, battery, domestic battery, theft, retail theft, criminal damage to property, burglary and more. Call my office at 815-324-7467 to arrange a free initial consultation regarding your criminal case.