If you have been arrested for a crime in Toronto, it is important that you choose your criminal defence lawyer very, very carefully. Instead of choosing the first lawyer who comes to mind or simply taking the recommendation of friends or family members, it’s imperative that you understand what you are looking for in a lawyer. You will need the best representation possible, even if you know you are innocent. Here are some reasons why your choice of lawyers matters so much.
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Not All Lawyers Are Suitable Trial Lawyers
Although lawyers study long and hard, it doesn’t make all lawyers equal. Some have that ‘presence’ when representing you in court. If your case is taken to trial before a jury of your peers, remember that’s exactly what they are – peers. They are not typically well versed in the law and how they ‘judge’ you is largely due to how you are represented.
You want the best criminal lawyer Toronto has to offer who has a proven track record in jury trials. How the jury responds to your criminal lawyer, unfortunately, often outweighs the evidence at hand. Although the judge will inform them to weigh their verdict on the evidence presented, it’s often the presenter who wins (or loses) the case for you and not the evidence the lawyer has provided them with.
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What Really Matters to Your Defence Team
One of the issues many defendants have had in the past is that they felt the Toronto criminal lawyer they hired was more worried about their winning track record than giving you the best defence possible. In other words, if the lawyer felt the case was going badly and that they would lose, instead of advising you to stick it out through a verdict and possible appeals, your lawyer doesn’t want a “loss” on their record. If you are innocent and know you are innocent, it might be that you want to take your chances because you have committed no crime.
Yes, representation will be costlier as a trial or appeal drags on, but your good name depends on not having a criminal record. That first round, that first loss in court, may mean an appeal which you believe can be won based on your innocence is more important than a Toronto criminal lawyer who isn’t willing to sustain an initial loss. Talk to any prospective lawyers to see that they are willing to go the extra mile with you when an appeal is necessary.
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Expertise and Experience Are of the Utmost
Sometimes it might be in your best interest to sit that extra day or two in jail until you find a Toronto criminal lawyer you are comfortable with. Taking the first one you find, even though they have no expertise or experience in the exact crime you have been accused of, could be a grave error in judgement. Just as all lawyers aren’t created equal, all crimes are not created equal as well. Your defence depends on a lawyer with expertise in your particular crime.
The main takeaway in all this is that you may need to sit behind bars a few extra days but when you are released on bond, you can be assured that your Toronto criminal defence lawyers are really in your court, figuratively as well as literally. They will go to bat for you and that is a good feeling to have. Your freedom and good name are at stake, so choose your lawyer carefully.
