5 Qualities – Selecting the Best Houston Criminal Lawyer for You
There are few choices more important in selecting the absolute best Houston criminal lawyer when faced with a criminal charge. The charges can wary widely including: theft, DUI, possession of narcotics, assault with a deadly weapon, fraud, robbery, or even murder. But choosing the wrong lawyer will almost always yield the same result: precious years of your life served behind bars, and your loved ones left without you. How do you make the split second decision that your criminal lawyer in Houston is the best possible representative for YOU? Look for the following traits:
1. Your criminal lawyer needs to be a fighter. Period.
If you are staring down the possibility of spending the next several years of your life in jail, you need someone who is going to go to war for you. Plenty of attorneys market widely hoping to draw in as much business as possible. Will you be a priority for them? Will they fight for you if your case is smaller than their “average” client? Additionally, when they go to court and present your case in front of a judge or jury will they pursue your case aggressively or will they lay down in the face of prosecutorial pressure? Finally, will the judge or the prosecution intimidate them? You need someone strong under pressure.
The number one question you should ask yourself is this: Will this criminal lawyer do whatever it takes to fight for my case? They have to be born a fighter. And you can tell quickly if someone is going to make your case a priority worth fighting for.
2. Your criminal lawyer needs to listen carefully and be extremely detail oriented.
When you are presenting the details of your legal charges is your attorney prodding and asking as many questions as they can to learn about you and your case? Are they showing true interest, by demonstrating that they are actively listening to you? This is typically the first tell that your criminal lawyer will be a strong attorney. If they aren’t asking the right questions, they could very easily miss an important detail that could tank your case. In addition, accompanying good listening skills is someone who is incredibly detailed oriented. Are they going to pour over your notes and briefs or cross examinations meticulously? Will they master every piece of evidence submitted? Look for a lawyer who demonstrates that the details matter to them and it could make all the difference in your case if it ever gets to trial.
3. Your criminal lawyer needs to have integrity.
Reputation matters in this industry – especially in a city like Houston in which we have a tight knit legal community. You need to evaluate quickly if the person sitting across from you commands a sense of integrity. You need to see that their word means something to them and to others, and that people in the legal community know them to be a person of good character who will tell you the truth — the way it really is. Plenty of attorneys can make promises, or better yet can offer up platitudes about their skill or prowess as a lawyer, but few have the guts to tell you exactly how it is. Look for a lawyer who won’t mince words, and who has a track record of trustworthiness.
4. Your criminal lawyer needs to be an effective communicator.
Does your criminal lawyer strike you as someone personable? Someone who can communicate things simply, but very effectively? Or do they come off as a bit out of touch, socially awkward, rude, or overly academic and use five dollar words? Understanding juries and judges is as much an art form, as it is a skill. It takes years of practice to master. Your criminal lawyer is your mouthpiece, the public image, and the brains behind your entire defense. We know that in this world perception is reality. As such, you need to pick someone who you can trust will communicate. They will reach a judge or jury in the best possible way, differentiated way. Each person is unique and needs to be thoughtfully communicated to win your case.
5. Your criminal lawyer needs to be experienced.
You wouldn’t dare let an inexperienced doctor perform a dangerous operation on you. Similarly, there is simply no substitute for experience in something as high stakes as a criminal law case. You need a lawyer who has the background. You need someone who has years of experience to know the ins and outs of a variety of criminal law case types. They have to be knowledgable on how these cases are tried. They need to know how to assess the judges personalities, judgements, negotiations, police dynamics, and more. In criminal law, experience is king. Look for someone who has tried many cases, an expert of each type of criminal case and give you a sense of confidence through their experience. You don’t want a novice, at the very moment in which you need an ace criminal defense lawyer.
At Your Houston Criminal Lawyers we know that all of our lawyers fit this bill, but don’t take our word for it. Find out for yourself by calling us at (713) 224-4444 to schedule your own FREE legal consultation.