When you are facing criminal charges, having timely, effective legal representation is crucial. In fact, you should obtain counsel as soon as you suspect that you may be involved in a criminal matter – even before you are formally charged. Most people involved in criminal matters wait until they are formally charged and arrested before seeking counsel. However, the rights that you have as a criminal defendant come into play as soon as the authorities make contact with you – and you can waive important rights in that pre-arrest contact with law enforcement before you are charged. If, by your interaction with police before you obtain counsel, you waive certain rights, that waiver is complete and, in most instances, irrevocable. You should never interact with the authorities without your counsel. We cannot overemphasize the importance of having counsel with you every step of the criminal process.

Criminal defense can have several goals, depending on the facts presented by every case. Some cases call for preparing a vigorous factual defense to the charges. Some cases call for preparing a defense that will result in a final disposition on a lesser charge than the one brought by the original indictment. In some instances, obtaining a not guilty verdict on the charged offense may not be realistic. In that case, we work hard to mitigate any sentence to be imposed. No matter what the approach your case calls for, at Setliff Law, our goal is to put the government to its proof in every case. Very few people are prepared to be charged on a criminal warrant. Criminal proceedings can be extremely complex, and nothing less than your liberty is at stake.

Lawyers at Setliff Law have years of experience in defending criminal matters, from serious felonies such as murder, robbery, malicious wounding, manslaughter, and kidnapping – down to misdemeanors such as DUI or concealed firearm violations. If you are facing criminal charges, contact Setliff Law as soon as possible to protect your rights and begin preparing your best defense.