BEING CHARGED WITH A SEX CRIME? WHY HIRE A LAWYER
You've recently been arrested on a sex charge, which is a serious thing in Ohio (and everywhere). You want to take your sex offense seriously, even though you feel you are innocent, and you don't want to just assume your judge is going to see things your way.
You're not alone when it comes to being charged with a crime; almost two million people in Ohio have a criminal record, as stated by the Ohio Justice and Policy Center. While your situation isn't unique, it's unique to you, and you don't want to be stuck without legal representation on your potentially serious charge. Here are the reasons why you need a lawyer when you're charged with a sex crime.
You Face Damaging Consequences
You may have to go to drug court as part of your sex crime charges, particularly if drugs or alcohol are related to your arrest. You don't want to have to take on a consequence like taking anger management, drug, or other types of classes, because these classes can interfere with your job or family life. Your reputation can also be put on the line.
When you hire a lawyer to assist you with their legal services, you can potentially get off with a lesser charge or a lighter sentence, depending on how severe your crime is or if you are a repeat offender. While your lawyer cannot guarantee any particular outcome for your trial, they can give you the legal boost you need to help argue your case and help things work out better in your favor.
You Are Vulnerable Without Legal Representation
The legal world is hard to understand, and you can be made vulnerable in the courtroom without legal aid to represent you. You want to make sure you know what you are agreeing to or even when to speak or what to say in court, as you don't want to accidentally misrepresent yourself on the bench.
Furthermore, you have a harder time negotiating a plea deal — if this is available to you — with the prosecuting attorney when you don't have a sex crime attorney by your side. You don't want to unwittingly agree to drug court or other consequence if you don't have to. While you can get a legal defender through the state or county to represent you in court so you aren't entirely alone if you don't want to represent yourself, you still want to hire a lawyer who specializes in the type of crime you are being charged with.
Drug court and other legal requirements can be costly and frightening, and often stay on your record for a long time. If you have been accused of a sex crime, the first thing you need to do is hire an attorney who will stand by your side until the end of your trial. This way, you have proper representation to help you get through this legal issue you're facing.