What does a Criminal Defense Lawyer Do?
By Dan Noll on December 11th, 2013 in
Our Springfield, Illinois Criminal Defense Lawyers bring years of experience and knowledge to bear on our client’s cases. This article is intended to give a brief overview of the process our lawyers go through when representing a client. If you or a loved one need a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Central Illinois, please contact our office at (217) 414-8889 for a free initial consultation. Our office handles state and federal charges throughout our service area.
Step 1: Factual Review
The first step our criminal defense lawyers take is to thoroughly review the facts. This process includes reviewing police reports, witness statements, videos, audio recordings, lab reports and any other documentation or evidence related to the case. In reviewing those documents, we attempt to determine if there is sufficient evidence to convict our client and whether there are any affirmative defenses such as alibi or self-defense.
Step 2: Legal Defenses
Next, our lawyers look to see if there are any legal defenses to the alleged conduct. The most common example of a legal defense is that the authorities illegally obtained evidence in violation of the Fourth Amendment. This is most commonly known as “Search and Seizure.” Our office has an in-depth and constantly evolving understanding of the law relating to Search and Seizure.
In fact, we recently had a drug case People v. A.J. (2013 Sangamon County) where our Criminal Defense Attorney Daniel Noll successfully argued that the officer illegally search our client’s luggage. In that case, A.J. was at the Amtrak Station in Springfield, Illinois when a member of the Street Crimes Unit approached him and asked him to go outside with his bag. Outside, the officer asked our client what was in his suitcase. A.J. admitted to having marijuana inside the bag. The officer opened the bag and found a large amount of marijuana. Daniel Noll was able to get the case dismissed because the officer violated the Warrant Requirement of the Fourth Amendment.
Step 3: Determine Course of Action with Client
The Noll Law Office values client interaction and communication. We strive to insure that our clients are kept up to date and are involved in their cases. So, once our defense lawyers have reviewed the materials for both factual and legal defenses, we discuss the case with our client to see their insights.
We often say that we will always know the law better than our clients, but they will know the fact because they lived it. Point being, we work hard to create a cohesive legal team between the lawyers and the client in order to obtain the best results for our clients.
If you or a loved one is in need of a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Central Illinois, please contact our Criminal Defense Attorneys for a free initial consultation at (217) 414-8889. Our lawyers handle all criminal charges (Drug Charges, DUI, Traffic Tickets, Weapons Offenses, Theft Crimes, Sex Crimes, etc.) including federal criminal charges.