Criminal Defense for the Accused

Criminal defense can be confusing to many people. If you are accused of a crime, you may wonder what will happen next. You may not know how to hire a Maryland lawyer or what to do to defend yourself. Fortunately, in the United States, criminal procedure follows a series of steps. Knowing how the process works can help you to stay calm and make the correct decisions. Each case is different, so it is important to retain a criminal defense attorney in your location. Provided here is a general guide to criminal procedure.

Miranda Rights and Criminal Defense

Although criminal defense may take many forms, it begins with the invocation of certain basic Constitutional rights. These rights are commonly known as Miranda rights. Most Americans have a basic awareness of the Miranda rights, but may not know exactly what is involved. If you are unsure whether your Miranda rights have been violated, it is important that you seek the advice of a qualified maryland criminal defense lawyer. Provided here is a general guide to Miranda rights, which is not intended to serve as legal advice.

Miranda v. Arizona

Miranda rights are named for Ernesto Miranda, who was arrested for rape in 1963. At that time, defendants were not informed of their rights, but were granted permission to speak with a criminal defense lawyer if they requested it.

Three Stikes Laws and Criminal Defense

Three strikes laws can complicate criminal defense procedures for clients who are accused of their third criminal offense. Three strikes laws are based on the belief that some offenders simply cannot be reformed. Under the terms of these laws, offenders who are convicted of felonies for the third time are automatically sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for many years (usually, but not always, 25 years). Over 20 states including Maryland as well as the federal government currently have these laws on the books. However, the laws vary somewhat between legislatures.

Three strikes laws were designed to keep violent offenders off the streets. However, many a maryland criminal defense lawyer argue that these laws are unnecessarily harsh on many nonviolent offenders whose crimes are relatively minor.