Law and Justice

Posts Tagged ‘Attorneys’

Portland, ME (November 26, 2007) –  Twenty-eight lawyers from Verrill Dana, LLP have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2007 edition of New England Super Lawyers.  This impartial and well-respected annual guide recognizes the top five percent of lawyers in Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.  The rigorous selection process includes peer nominations, a blue-ribbon panel review and independent research on candidates.  Advertising in the New England Super Lawyers guide has no bearing on the selection process.

Portland attorneys included are Eric D. Altholz (Employee Benefits/ERISA); Juliet T. Browne (Environmental); Anthony M. Calcagni (Real Estate); Roger A. Clement, Jr. (Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights); Judith M. Coburn (Estate Planning & Probate); Christopher J.W. Coggeshall (Real Estate); Douglas P. Currier (Employment & Labor); Beth Dobson (Banking); Gregory S. Fryer (Business/Corporate); Gregg H. Ginn (Employee Benefits/ERISA); James G. Goggin (Intellectual Property); Mark K. Googins (Business/Corporate); William S. Harwood (Administrative Law); David C. Hillman (Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights); Keith C. Jones (Business/Corporate); James T. Kilbreth (Business Litigation); William C. Knowles (General Litigation); Alan D. MacEwan (Business/Corporate); Christopher S. McLoon (Tax); Richard G. Moon (Employment & Labor); Charles R. Oestreicher (Real Estate); James C. Palmer (Real Estate); and A. Robert Ruesch (Construction Litigation).

Boston attorneys included are James F. Coffey (Business/Corporate); Gene D. Dahmen (Family Law); Donna M. Evans (Business Litigation); George P. Field (Business Litigation); and Gail Pennington (Estate Planning & Probate).

“We are honored that so many of our lawyers were chosen for this distinct recognition,” said Verrill Dana Managing Partner David E. Warren.  “While only five percent of attorneys practicing in New England were selected, nearly 30 percent of Verrill Dana lawyers were chosen for inclusion.  They, along with their colleagues, help to make Verrill Dana one of the most respected law firms in New England, and beyond.” 

About Verrill Dana:

Verrill Dana, LLP is a full service law firm with more than 100 attorneys conducting a nationwide practice from offices in Portland, Augusta, and Kennebunk, Maine; Boston; Hartford; and Washington, DC.  To learn more, visit our website at www.verrilldana.com.

If you were a competitive athlete, you would want to know everything you possibly could about your competitor. Make no mistake about it, legal marketing is as competitive as any sport. A well-prepared prize fighter will know the facts about his opponents’ height, weight, reach, wins, losses, training schedule, etc. A well-prepared trial attorney will not only study their case, but also their opponent.

Marketing your law firm consists of quite a bit of information gathering; learning about top competitors is one of the first steps. Below is a list of ideas your firm can use to become acquainted with your competitors and to gain an important edge in law firm marketing.

1. Review and analyze their website. You will be surprised what a law firm will reveal on their website. Studying their website will give you some important clues about their level of professionalism too. Is the website well-written? Is it written in language most prospects will be able to easily understand?

2. Call (or enlist a friend’s help to place the call) and interview their associates as a potential client. Be prepared with a list of questions before you place the actual call. Choose questions that will reveal important data about the competition. If you make the call yourself, be careful not to sound too “well-informed” by using technical legal jargon. A simple telephone call may produce a wealth of information about the competitions’ law firm marketing techniques.

3. Ask them to mail you some information about their law firm. The type of legal marketing material they send out will speak volumes about who they are and how they conduct business.

4. Sign-up for their online newsletter or e-zine (using your personal email address, of course)

5. Use Google to further bolster your law marketing strategic planning. Type in the keywords and phrases someone would use to find your practice area. For example, LA PI lawyer or a Real Estate Attorney Chicago or a Estate Planning Lawyer in Manhattan. Study the top ten websites that come up. These are your most aggressive online competitors because they didn’t get there by mistake.

6. Talk to local recruiters to find out if they are hiring. Recruiters are a great resource; they often talk to clients daily and can give you the inside info.

7. Review local newspapers and trade magazines to see how “visible” they are.

8. Ask fellow attorneys what they know about the competition. If they have had business dealings with them, get as many details as possible.

By all means, do not be afraid to ask questions and to investigate as much as possible. Your successful competitors, no doubt, are learning about you too if they are using the best law firm marketing techniques.

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Crime does not pay and if you have been charged with a crime in the State of Texas, then you know that all to well. It does not matter what you have been charged with because, in all cases, there will be legal costs and restitution fees, besides jail time, in most cases. The cost for your crime will put you in the poor house for sure and for that reason you should contact Dallas criminal law attorneys.

A Dallas criminal lawyer is an expert in criminal law with years of education and experience. If you are facing a DWI charge or were in the possession of drugs, a Dallas DWI attorney can help you fight your case in a court of law. A narcotics sales charge can carry some very heavy and stiff penalties, besides possible incarceration. A criminal law attorney does have the knowledge, skill and experience to get jail time and legal costs lowered or even get your case thrown out of court.

You must do your research on any Dallas criminal lawyer before you hire one. Any lawyer will tell you that there are the best qualified attorney to handle your case but that is not always true. First, you need to look for a lawyer that will not charge you an initial consultation fee. Most lawyers will not. Next, you should look at their track record. What is their percentage of cases won? If it is not very high, then move on to another potential lawyer. What about their fees for taking your case? Can you handle what they will charge? Those are questions that only you can answer.

Dallas criminal law attorneys will have a a whole slew of questions to ask you, so be prepared to answer to the best of your knowledge and be truthful. Any lawyer is at their best to defend you when they have all the evidence against you in order and that are true and factual. The job of the attorney is to disprove the state, because it is the responsibility of the state to prove you are guilty.

People can tell you that crime does not pay and the way to stay out of trouble is to not get into it in the first place. The person charged with a crime is the only person that can say for sure, that yes, they committed the crime. If you committed the crime, then paying the consequences is what you will need to do. A  Dallas DWI attorney or a criminal lawyer can help defend your rights while you go through the unpleasant process of having your case presented in a court of law.

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The purpose of criminal law attorneys is to assist those who have been charged with a criminal offense. They assist by helping those charged get acquitted of the charge or by getting them a less severe penalty or sentence. How much they can help is dependent on the nature of the crime and the level of guilt and past criminal record of the person charged.

Regardless of the the crime the accused is charged with, and whether they are guilty of it or not, criminal law attorneys will be able to help in some way. It is their job to prove their client innocent, even if they know the client committed the crime. If they do their job properly, criminal law attorneys should do everything that they can to get the best possible result for their clients.

It is their job to make sure you do not get a conviction, because you are innocent until proven guilty. They will work with you and use their understanding of the law to develop a defense that will convince the judge and jury to either acquit you of the crime or go easy on you in sentencing. Whether you be facing charges from another person or the state, they will defend you to the best of their ability.

So, in what circumstances would a criminal law attorney be needed? Criminal law attorneys are needed whenever a person is charged with a crime that is more serious than a small traffic offense. They can literally assist with any case than could possibly entail a custodial sentence. If you happen to be charged with anything more than a minor offence, then you would be taking a major risk to attend court without the help of one. To do so would almost certainly end with you being given an unfavorable penalty or sentence.

How can you find criminal law attorneys? Your local courthouse will appoint a criminal law attorney for you if you cannot afford one, because you are legally entitled to have representation even if you cannot afford to hire a lawyer on your own. Even if you do have sufficient finances to hire your own lawyer, you are still entitled to the services of a free one, so you may as well utilize this option. Should you not be happy with the free one appointed to you, then you can still hire your own afterwards.

It is important that you hire a lawyer you can trust and you know will help you win the case. Try to get a referral from someone you know first but, should that line of approach not prove fruitful, then you should use an internet directory to help you find a criminal law attorney that is suited to your particular needs and circumstances.

Fees will likely be based on the severity of the crime, nature of the case, and time spent working on the case. Money spent on his fees now will save you money in the long run because you will be able to stay out of jail and work.

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The purpose of criminal law attorneys is to assist those who have been charged with a criminal offense. They assist by helping those charged get acquitted of the charge or by getting them a less severe penalty or sentence. How much they can help is dependent on the nature of the crime and the level of guilt and past criminal record of the person charged.

Criminal law attorneys defend all kinds of people regardless of the crime they were charged with, whether they are guilty or not. It is their job to prove their client innocent, even if they know the client committed the crime. Good criminal law attorneys will fight for you and believe in your innocence.

It is their job to make sure you do not get a conviction, because you are innocent until proven guilty. They will inform you of how you stand legally and will advise you on the best course of action. Their ultimate aim is to get the judge and jury to find their client to be ‘not guilty’. They will be defending you against another person, or possibly even the state.

So, in what circumstances would a criminal law attorney be needed? Criminal law attorneys are needed whenever a person is charged with a crime that is more serious than a small traffic offense. They can literally assist with any case than could possibly entail a custodial sentence. Should you be unfortunate enough to find yourself charged with breaking a criminal law, then you will certainly need their services. To try to defend yourself without one will lead to almost certain failure.

And, how do you find yourself criminal law attorneys? It is your legal right to be represented by a criminal law attorney so, if even you cannot one, one will be appointed to take care of your case at no cost to you. Even if you do have sufficient finances to hire your own lawyer, you are still entitled to the services of a free one, so you may as well utilize this option. Should you not be happy with the free one appointed to you, then you can still hire your own afterwards.

Having confidence in your lawyer is important – you must feel that you can trust them and that they are doing their best for you. If you cannot find local referrals, use an internet directory to help you find the best criminal lawyer for your needs.

How much they charge for their services is based upon the nature of the case, the severity of the crime, and the amount of time it takes them to prepare for, and be in attendance, at the court proceedings. Fees do tend to be high, but clients do not always have to pay them, as they may be entitled to some form of legal aid. Money spent on his fees now will save you money in the long run because you will be able to stay out of jail and work.

You’re one anxious big fish. You were the manager of two colossal New York hedge funds, both of which recently and dramatically collapsed, wiping out the assets of thousands of faithful investors. You’re a social pariah, and your stricken wife and kids have moved in with your in-laws. Anybody who recognizes you from the unflattering images plastered on the front pages of the “New York Times” and “Daily News,” including your uppity 5th Avenue doorman, greet you with a sneer.

Far worse is the fact that hordes of young, hungry investigators from the office of Manhattan’s U.S. Attorney are convinced you deliberately misled investors about your funds’ health. They’re loudly alleging you conjured up fraudulent values for the funds’ risky sub-prime securities, and, smelling blood, they’re sifting through myriad records of everything you ever did, said, e-mailed, or twittered. Your bullish public comments, they shrilly declare, cloaked your bearish villainy.

Alone, friendless, and desperate, your mind reels as you think of all the former Wall Street lions rotting on a cot in some cell in federal prison serving 7 to 150. It’s like a “Who’s Who” of corporate titans. Ponzi-scheme genius, Bernie Madoff. Publishing tycoon, Conrad Black. Aldelphia Communications founder, John Rigas. WorldCom CEO, Bernie Ebbers. Tyco’s Dennis Kozlowski. Enron CEO, Jeffrey Skilling. You may become another poster boy for American corporate greed and corruption.

Where’s the out?

The out is a first-class criminal defense attorney.

What Is It?

A white-collar lawyer advises clients about available strategies and options when they’re facing intense scrutiny by a government agency. The most popular white-collar crimes include corporate fraud, tax evasion, money laundering, and individual corruption.

Any short list of high-end white-collar defense attorneys should be composed of former government prosecutors. That is, lawyers who’ve “flipped,” as they say in the under-worldly language of criminal law. It’s these highly skilled attorneys who understand the prosecutorial mindset, and can anticipate the cunning strategies they’ll employ against you.

As much as you might resent these well-dressed law enforcement officials, with their farrago of lies and defamations, you nevertheless want a defense attorney who has a friendly relationship with them. Government prosecutors and agents automatically give more credibility to defense attorneys who’ve forged their legal skills as prosecutorial attack dogs.

Who Needs One?

Big fish.

The government is always looking to catch world-class crooks. Agents and prosecutors always enjoy making a media splash, both to have a profound impact on deterrence, and their careers. This means white-collar crime involving government corruption and big-money corporate fraud are currently at the top of the list.

Benefits

As with all legal issues, the earlier an attorney is brought into the investigation, the better. It’s extremely difficult to fix errors made by the clients through disclosures and interviews with the government agents. The first questions a top-tier white-collar defense attorney will ask is, “What did you say to government investigators?” and “Who else knows about your problem?” It’s critical for your counsel to understand the scope of your problems, and what the universe of your knowledge is. If twenty people know what you’ve been up to, your options are different than if your Golden Retriever is the only one with any knowledge.

An effective white-collar defense attorney will want to know all the facts. It’s impossible to form a defense strategy without fully knowing the obstacles, hurdles, and pitfalls that may be encountered in an investigation or criminal trial. So you’ve made a few errors in judgment. We all do. Any white-collar defense attorney worth his staggering fees will tell you all cases have negative facts. If there were no negative facts, there would be no case. Address them up front or they may come to haunt you. Understanding all the unadulterated facts enables your lawyer to tell a coherent and compelling story in court.

Conversely, often the government does not know all of the facts. Agents and prosecutors put together a story that makes sense to them, but might strike you as creative writing. Bruce Cutler, successfully defending John Gotti Sr. for the second straight time, once dramatically waved the government’s indictment in front of a spellbound jury as if it were a turd, mocking, “This is nothing but a screenplay!”

There will always be facts that undermine the prosecutors’ theory.

Notable white-collar defense attorneys will also stress no conviction is inevitable. Powerful, maniacally driven CEO’s might crash and burn, but how that plays out in court is often unpredictable. Take HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy. He walked in 2005 after being found not guilty of all 36 charges against him in a $2.7-billion accounting fraud case – despite the sworn testimony against him by his five chief financial officers.

A case like Scrushy’s highlights an adept, if simple, defense strategy: blame it all on your employees. A defendant can claim if his own corporate in-house accountants and lawyers raised no flags of improper transactions, then how could he, as CEO, possibly know? As Conrad Black quipped in his Chicago trial, the failure of his employees’ to raise questions was “not a flattering reflection on their thoroughness.” Unfortunately for Black, the prosecutor arguing the fraud, money-laundering, and racketeering case was Patrick Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald’s U.S. Attorney’s office boasts the highest conviction rate in the nation.

Risks

Since prosecutors often spend years gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, reviewing documents, and questioning people before a grand jury before requesting an indictment, you can count on the fact that they think they’ll win the case. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t risk squandering their talent and resources.

Consequently, the biggest risk is editing your story for your defense attorney, and short-changing him in providing every conceivable form of documentation, including financial documents, internal memoranda, voicemails, e-mails, and telephone or cell phone records.

You want to be the first to inform your defense attorney of all the cold, hard facts. If the government prosecutor is the first to reliably inform your legal counsel, the potential negative consequences could be devastating.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the legal expertise and advice of your attorney. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about litigation with an appropriate legal expert.

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***Avoid fraud by unethical bankruptcy attorneys in the Los Angeles Metro area. If you need a pre-screened bankruptcy attorney, you must call a CALBAR approved lawyer referral service by calling 661-310-7999 or by visiting 1000Attorneys.com ***

San Fernando Valley: There have been many reported incidents in the San Fernando valley about unethical business practices by bankruptcy attorneys.

Specifically, these offices are violating rule 1-400 which prohibits lawyers from paying commissions to people who generate leads of potential clients. Moreover, these agents cannot act in behalf of any attorney to offer their bankruptcy services.

Anyone giving bankruptcy advise MUST be licensed with the California Bar Association.

Rule 1-400 from the California Bar Association clearly states:

(A) For purposes of this rule, “communication” means any message or offer made by or on behalf of a member concerning the availability for professional employment of a member or a law firm directed to any former, present, or prospective client, including but not limited to the following:

(1) Any use of firm name, trade name, fictitious name, or other professional designation of such member or law firm; or

2) Any stationery, letterhead, business card, sign, brochure, or other comparable written material describing such member, law firm, or lawyers; or

(3) Any advertisement (regardless of medium) of such member or law firm directed to the general public or any substantial portion thereof; or

(4) Any unsolicited correspondence from a member or law firm directed to any person or entity.

(B) For purposes of this rule, a “solicitation” means any communication:

(1) Concerning the availability for professional employment of a member or a law firm in which a significant motive is pecuniary gain; and

(2) Which is:

(a) delivered in person or by telephone, or

(b) directed by any means to a person known to the sender to be represented by counsel in a matter which is a subject of the communication.

(C) A solicitation shall not be made by or on behalf of a member or law firm to a prospective client with whom the member or law firm has no family or prior professional relationship, unless the solicitation is protected from abridgment by the Constitution of the United States or by the Constitution of the State of California. A solicitation to a former or present client in the discharge of a member’s or law firm’s professional duties is not prohibited.

(D) A communication or a solicitation (as defined herein) shall not:

(1) Contain any untrue statement; or

(2) Contain any matter, or present or arrange any matter in a manner or format which is false, deceptive, or which tends to confuse, deceive, or mislead the public; or

(3) Omit to state any fact necessary to make the statements made, in the light of circumstances under which they are made, not misleading to the public; or

(4) Fail to indicate clearly, expressly, or by context, that it is a communication or solicitation, as the case may be; or

(5) Be transmitted in any manner which involves intrusion, coercion, duress, compulsion, intimidation, threats, or vexatious or harassing conduct.

(6) State that a member is a “certified specialist” unless the member holds a current certificate as a specialist issued by the Board of Legal Specialization, or any other entity accredited by the State Bar to designate specialists pursuant to standards adopted by the Board of Governors, and states the complete name of the entity which granted certification.

(E) The Board of Governors of the State Bar shall formulate and adopt standards as to communications which will be presumed to violate this rule 1-400. The standards shall only be used as presumptions affecting the burden of proof in disciplinary proceedings involving alleged violations of these rules. “presumption affecting the burden of proof” means that presumption defined in Evidence Code sections 605 and 606. Such standards formulated and adopted by the Board, as from time to time amended, shall be effective and binding on all members.

(F) A member shall retain for two years a true and correct copy or recording of any communication made by written or electronic media. Upon written request, the member shall make any such copy or recording available to the State Bar, and, if requested, shall provide to the State Bar evidence to support any factual or objective claim contained in the communication.

[Publisher's Note: Former rule 1-400 (D)(6) repealed by order of the Supreme Court effective November 30, 1992. New rule 1-400 (D)(6) added by order of the Supreme Court effective June 1, 1997.]

Standards:

Pursuant to rule 1-400(E) the Board of Governors of the State Bar has adopted the following standards, effective May 27, 1989, unless noted otherwise, as forms of “communication” defined in rule 1-400(A) which are presumed to be in violation of rule 1-400:

(1) A “communication” which contains guarantees, warranties, or predictions regarding the result of the representation.

(2) A “communication” which contains testimonials about or endorsements of a member unless such communication also contains an express disclaimer such as “this testimonial or endorsement does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.”

(3) A “communication” which is delivered to a potential client whom the member knows or should reasonably know is in such a physical, emotional, or mental state that he or she would not be expected to exercise reasonable judgment as to the retention of counsel.

(4) A “communication” which is transmitted at the scene of an accident or at or en route to a hospital, emergency care center, or other health care facility.

(5) A “communication,” except professional announcements, seeking professional employment for pecuniary gain, which is transmitted by mail or equivalent means which does not bear the word “Advertisement,” “Newsletter” or words of similar import in 12 point print on the first page. If such communication, including firm brochures, newsletters, recent legal development advisories, and similar materials, is transmitted in an envelope, the envelope shall bear the word “Advertisement,” “Newsletter” or words of similar import on the outside thereof.

(6) A “communication” in the form of a firm name, trade name, fictitious name, or other professional designation which states or implies a relationship between any member in private practice and a government agency or instrumentality or a public or non-profit legal services organization.

(7) A “communication” in the form of a firm name, trade name, fictitious name, or other professional designation which states or implies that a member has a relationship to any other lawyer or a law firm as a partner or associate, or officer or shareholder pursuant to Business and professions Code sections 6160-6172 unless such relationship in fact exists.

(8) A “communication” which states or implies that a member or law firm is “of counsel” to another lawyer or a law firm unless the former has a relationship with the latter (other than as a partner or associate, or officer or shareholder pursuant to Business and professions Code sections 6160-6172) which is close, personal, continuous, and regular.

(9) A “communication” in the form of a firm name, trade name, fictitious name, or other professional designation used by a member or law firm in private practice which differs materially from any other such designation used by such member or law firm at the same time in the same community.

(10) A “communication” which implies that the member or law firm is participating in a lawyer referral service which has been certified by the State Bar of California or as having satisfied the Minimum Standards for Lawyer Referral Services in California, when that is not the case.

(11) (Repealed. See rule 1-400(D)(6) for the operative language on this subject.)

(12) A “communication,” except professional announcements, in the form of an advertisement primarily directed to seeking professional employment primarily for pecuniary gain transmitted to the general public or any substantial portion thereof by mail or equivalent means or by means of television, radio, newspaper, magazine or other form of commercial mass media which does not state the name of the member responsible for the communication. When the communication is made on behalf of a law firm, the communication shall state the name of at least one member responsible for it.

(13) A “communication” which contains a dramatization unless such communication contains a disclaimer which states “this is a dramatization” or words of similar import.

(14) A “communication” which states or implies “no fee without recovery” unless such communication also expressly discloses whether or not the client will be liable for costs.

(15) A “communication” which states or implies that a member is able to provide legal services in a language other than English unless the member can actually provide legal services in such language or the communication also states in the language of the communication (a) the employment title of the person who speaks such language and (b) that the person is not a member of the State Bar of California, if that is the case.

(16) An unsolicited “communication” transmitted to the general public or any substantial portion thereof primarily directed to seeking professional employment primarily for pecuniary gain which sets forth a specific fee or range of fees for a particular service where, in fact, the member charges a greater fee than advertised in such communication within a period of 90 days following dissemination of such communication, unless such communication expressly specifies a shorter period of time regarding the advertised fee. Where the communication is published in the classified or “yellow pages” section of telephone, business or legal directories or in other media not published more frequently than once a year, the member shall conform to the advertised fee for a period of one year from initial publication, unless such communication expressly specifies a shorter period of time regarding the advertised fee.

(Amended by order of Supreme Court, operative September 14, 1992. Standard (5) amended by the Board of Governors, effective May 11, 1994. Standards (12) – (16) added by the Board of Governors, effective May 11, 1994. Standard (11) repealed June 1, 1997)

1.) Do not retain a criminal law attorney or dui defense lawyer based upon the attorney’s office location. For many hard working people, it is simply easier to go to a local criminal law attorney blocks away to make legal decisions that could land you or a loved one in jail and/or affect one’s livelihood forever. While a general practice attorney is often acceptable for non specialty areas such as the drafting of wills, contacts, etc., criminal and drunk driving defense has become a specialized field requiring unique training and attention. For example, most police departments have officers who are trained to do nothing other than pursue drunk driving arrests or drug crimes. As a result, it is often critical that your attorney be one that has devoted himself or herself exclusively to the practice of criminal law or dui defense with more training in the field than the officer who has arrested you. In an age where most all top criminal or dui attorneys are accessible for free phone or computer consultations,  there is simply no reason not to consult with as many capable criminal defense law attorneys as possible before making the all important decision of who will defend you in a criminal court of law.

2.) Be wary of a fee arrangement that requires you to pay a criminal law attorney or drunk driving attorney base upon an hourly rate. It is often the practice of top criminal attorneys to have a client pay an initial retainer fee for their criminal defense, followed by a detailed fee for services performed beyond the initial retainer fee, or down payment. While not a problem limited to criminal law attorneys or dui lawyers, a professional paid by the hour has a financial interest in prolonging services for their financial benefit. Within the context of a criminal prosecution, this financial arrangement can too often prove to be a lose situation for an uniformed client. This is so because not only is a client faced with the prospect of limitless and often frivolous professional fees, but also the potential of creating unnecessary conflict between defense counsel and a prosecutor who will often attribute delays in settlement to a client who is punished for the needless actions of a criminal arrest attorney with financial thoughts on his mind not always consistent with an effective criminal defense.

3.) Never speak to law enforcement without a criminal law attorney and be especially pro active in retaining a criminal law or dui defense lawyer at your earliest opportunity

One who has been arrested for a felony or misdemeanor crime or  accused of a criminal offense must always be aware that an arresting officer or detective is not your friend. No matter the kindness and sympathy one in law enforcement may extend to you, the fact that you are a professional, veteran of the armed forces or contributor to the sheriff’s department is not going to legally aid you  in providing a legal defense. Only a rookie or inexperienced detective or police officer will yell and scream at one being investigated for a crime. Rather, an effective  law enforcement officer is usually trained in the art of gaining a suspect’s trust and in turn the potential for an incriminating statement  without the assistance of a capable criminal defense law attorney to protect you. Do not let the truth get in the way of reality. It is an officer’s job to thoroughly scrutinize a statement given in good faith for any possible discrepancies in an effort to incriminate one subjected to a criminal investigation. Once that statement, no matter how innocently intended or misinterpreted has been made, the job of your criminal law attorney has been made infinitely more difficult. If you or a loved one is the target of a criminal investigation and have not given a statement without the presence of your criminal attorney, consider yourself fortunate. You have the benefit of securing the services of a top criminal defense lawyer prior to charging decisions and settlement options being made within a prosecutor’s office.