Pre-charge Representation May be the Smartest Investment You Ever Make
I can’t count the number of times I’ve stepped into a case too late, too late to stop a case from being charged, too late to stop that person from providing the very information to the police that they would ultimately use to convict them in a court of law. In fact, it gets worse. I can think of multiple cases in which but for the statements that the person made to the police willingly, a rape case comes to mind, they would never have been charged in the first place. This brings me to the topic of pre-charge representation. Contact Jack Rice of Jack Rice Defense for a free consultation.
I can think of multiple cases in which but for the statements that the person made to the police willingly, they would never have been charged.
Pre-charge representation is the situation where somebody hires a criminal defense lawyer before they have been charged, before the police have arrested them and, in the best possible case, before the police have even started their investigation. The benefits of having counsel at this stage are multifold. It might seem odd to pay a criminal defense lawyer a lot of money at this stage but it might be the best investment you ever make.
When I am retained by a client at this stage, most of my advice involves a combination of what they should do and what they shouldn’t do, including:
Talking to the police
Talking to their family
Talking to their friends
Posting things on social media
Acquiring information
Talking to the police (Yes, I put that in twice)
Let me say this without hesitation, the police will lie to you, threaten you and your family and do an extraordinary number of manipulative things to get you to come in and “tell your side of the story.”
Now, let’s be clear here. A credible, ethical criminal defense lawyer can’t and won’t help you commit crimes, perpetuate crimes or hide crimes. That isn’t and should never be their role. I won’t. The role of a criminal defense attorney is to help guide you about your Constitutional rights, what you can do and not do and to deal with the police and the prosecutors. Finally, let me say this without hesitation, the police will lie to you, threaten you and your family and do an extraordinary number of manipulative things to get you to come in and “tell your side of the story.” Sometimes, under extraordinarily rare circumstances, another rape charge comes to mind, you might want this. Sometimes, you might as well walking into the jail cell and then throw the key through the bars. In fact, if you think you can talk your way out of something, or clear your conscious, you will pay a massive price down the road.
Jack Rice is the Founder of Jack Rice Defense. He is a former prosecutor, Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist and Minnesota criminal defense attorney. He handles serious felonies, sex crimes, and murder cases. If you are concerned about a possible charge, sit down with Jack for a free consultation or call 651-447-7650 or 612-227-1339.