The United States Constitution grants important rights to any person accused of a crime including due process, the right to a fair and speedy trial, the right to representation by counsel, the right to remain silent and to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures.
When choosing a criminal defense attorney in North Carolina, consider the lawyer's training, experience, ratings and reviews. Attorneys that practice within the criminal justice system tend to focus on certain types of cases in either state or federal court.
Most criminal defense attorneys provide a free consultation to discuss the facts of your case and defenses that might apply. Before you decide on which attorney to hire, meet with several different attorneys in their office to discuss the case and the attorney fees required for representation.
Once you decide which attorney to hire, make sure you and the attorney sign a written fee agreement or contract that describes the attorney fees required at each stage of the case including during pre-trial negotiations, motion hearings and a bench or jury trial.
A criminal defense lawyer in North Carolina should fight to protect the rights of his or her client in a criminal case against felony or misdemeanor charges... Read more »
Certified Specialist in Criminal Law in North Carolina - Criminal law was proposed as a specialty area to the North Carolina Bar in 1990.
Thereafter, the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization designated criminal law, including the subspecialty of specialties in state criminal law and juvenile delinquency law, as a field of law for certification of specialists under the North Carolina Plan of Legal Specialization.
State Bar Rules, Ch. 1, Subch. D, .2502 defines the specialty of criminal law as the "practice of law dealing with the defense or prosecution of those charged with misdemeanor and felony crimes in state and federal trial courts."
The rules also identifies and defines the subspecialty in the field of criminal law as follows: "State Criminal Law--The practice of criminal law in state trial and appellate courts."
NBLSC Certification in Criminal Trial Advocacy - The National Board of Legal Specialty Certification is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) to certify attorneys as specialists in criminal trial advocacy.
Founded in 1958, NACDL is the largest organization for criminal defense lawyers fighting to preserve fairness within America's criminal justice system. The organization has more than 10,000 direct members including criminal defense attorneys in private practice, public defenders in state or federal court, U.S. military defense counsel, law professors and judges.