{"id":1266,"date":"2019-05-24T13:27:53","date_gmt":"2019-05-24T13:27:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/?p=1266"},"modified":"2019-05-24T13:27:53","modified_gmt":"2019-05-24T13:27:53","slug":"critical-questions-and-answers-about-indiana-criminal-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/critical-questions-and-answers-about-indiana-criminal-charges\/","title":{"rendered":"Critical Questions and Answers About Indiana Criminal Charges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Everyone has questions following an arrest or investigation.\nGetting accurate answers to your legal questions can provide the lawful insight\nyou must have in order to fully comprehend your criminal charges and possible\nmaximum penalties. The best course of action for obtaining this level of legal\nguidance and knowledge is to schedule a meeting with a reputable criminal\ndefense law firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the meantime, it will help your understanding to review\nsome of the most important questions and answers regarding criminal defense and\ncriminal law. The more familiarity you have about the Indiana judicial system,\nthe wiser your decisions can be regarding your legal matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCriminal Defense Law Firm 317-636-7514<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Am I Mandated to Answer Police Questions After Being Arrested?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
According to the 5th Amendment in the United States\nConstitution, you have the right to remain silent. You also have the right to\nan attorney, which should be used AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Call Attorney David E.\nLewis before charges are filed against you, and let him do the talking for you.\nHe may be able to present your side of the story to the police before they\nfile, and get your charges dismissed. This cannot happen once charges have even\nfiled, so call from the jail cell or the moment you are released from jail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can I Talk About My Criminal Case With Friends and Family?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Never discuss your case with anyone except your defense\nlawyer or legal team. This is critical to the outcome of your case. Everything\ndiscussed among your defense team is confidential, but with anyone else, it\u2019s\nnot. It is especially important to not discuss your case with law enforcement\nofficers. They are not your friends and anything you tell them can be and will\nbe used against you in a court of law. If anyone tries to ask you about your\ncase, including insurance adjusters, cellmates, coworkers, friends, family, and\nstrangers. Simply remain silent, and if they persist, tell them you refuse to\ndiscuss anything without your lawyer present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Does a \u201cWashout\u201d Period Mean in Indiana?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Indiana has a look back period of 5 and 10 years called a\nwashout period. This is the time period in which prosecution \u201clooks back\u201d upon\nto check for prior convictions on a person\u2019s criminal record following an\narrest. As you know, priors are enhancements and make the penalties for\ncriminal charges more serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are Advisory Sentences?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
An \u201cadvisory sentence\u201d is a guideline that the court may\nvoluntarily consider as the midpoint between the maximum and minimum sentence\nfor a certain crime. For example, if a person commits a Level 6 Felony having\nno priors, they are facing a minimum of 6 month, up to 2 \u00bd years maximum in\nprison, with an advisory sentence of 1 year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Friend was Convicted of the Same Offense. Will I Have the Same Penalties as Them?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Never believe what inmates, friends, or other people tell\nyou about similar cases. It is important to remember that EVERY CASE is\ndifferent and retains its own set of unique qualities and circumstances. This\nis why it is important to have a custom defense built for you by a competent and\nexperience criminal attorney who can use the law in your favor to reduce or\ndismiss your charges. Call David E. Lewis, Attorney at Law, at 317-636-7514 for\npersonalized legal representation you can trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do I Have to Go to Jail?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There is no way of knowing the future. Even if the law says\na certain crime is punishable by a certain amount of jail time, every case is\ndifferent and courts may decide to reduce charges by eliminating jail time or\nentering into alternative sentencing agreements. In Indiana, community service\nis often substituted in place of serving jail time. It all depends on the\nskills of your defense lawyer and your criminal record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do I Need a Criminal Defense Attorney?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Yes, if you want to avoid jail or have your charges dropped\nor reduced. Although you can choose to use a public defender, a stronger chance\nat dismissing criminal charges or entering into alternative sentencing\nagreements is by hiring a licensed defense lawyer. They have the experience,\nlitigation skills, and acute knowledge of the law to effectively build a\ndefense that challenges your criminal allegations and pursue a more favorable\noutcome for your case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How Much Does a Criminal Attorney Charge?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When your life and freedom are on the line, don\u2019t let money\nget in the way. It is important to never establish your decision on a criminal\nattorney based on price. Some law firms charge more than others, while some\ncharge less than they should. If the price quote seems too good to be true from\na defense attorney, it may be because they are inexperienced and trying to\nbuild their practice. Choose an experienced attorney that will get you the\nfairest possible outcome for your case, not an attorney with a cheap retainer\nfee. Your future depends on it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Will a Criminal Lawyer Do that a Public Defender Can\u2019t\nDo?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Public defenders often work for larger firms, and do not do\nthe investigation and research on their cases themselves. Instead, paralegals\nand investigators do most of the work, leaving the public defender out of the\nloop on details about the case circumstances. This leaves them unqualified and\nunequipped to effectively fight a person\u2019s criminal charges. A criminal lawyer\ndoes all the investigative research themselves, and personally commits to every\ndetail of the case. This is just one reason why they are the most promising\nchoice for defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Criminal](\"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Indiana-Defense-Lawyers-e1558704352977-1024x573.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.delewislaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Criminal-Defense-Attorney-Indianapolis-Indiana-7-1024x294.png\")
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