Steps to Take after Getting Arrested

If you’ve been arrested, it’s all too normal to do a bit of panicking, and if you find that you have no idea how to protect your rights and diminish the consequences of the situation, you’re not alone. While your case is specific to the unique circumstances involved, there are important steps that everyone in your situation should take, and one of the most important is reaching out for the skilled legal guidance of an experienced Georgia criminal defense attorney.

Invoke Your Rights

You may have been arrested, but you also have legal rights that the police are required to inform you of, which is referred to as reading you your Miranda rights. The Fifth Amendment affords you the right to remain silent in the face of police questioning and the right to an attorney. Both are important, and you should take advantage of each.

It’s important to keep in mind that saying you are invoking your right to remain silent and remaining silent are two very different things. You must actually stop talking in order for the protection to apply. That’s why the police are also required to tell you that anything you do say can – and almost certainly will – be used against you.

Consult with a Skilled Criminal Defense Attorney

Once you invoke your right to remain silent, it’s time to ask for an attorney. The sooner you connect with a formidable criminal defense attorney, the better protected your rights will be – and the more favorably your case is likely to be resolved. Your attorney will ably take on all the following primary tasks:

• Your attorney’s goal is to have the charge against you dropped. If this isn’t a possibility, however, they will engage in skilled negotiations with the prosecution regarding the matter of bail and the charge you face.
• Your attorney will gather all the available evidence – including any held by the police or the prosecution – in your case and will strategically weave it into your strongest defense.
• Your attorney will help to ensure that you avoid the errors that too often trip defendants up, that you understand the legal process, and that you make the right choices for you on the path forward.
• Your attorney will fiercely advocate for your case’s optimal outcome – in the context of the involved circumstances.

Even a misdemeanor charge can have a serious impact on your future, which makes having trusted legal counsel on your side paramount from the outset.

An Experienced Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney Is Standing By to Help

The well-respected firm of Banks, Stubbs & McFarland encourages you to reach out for focused legal representation as soon as you are arrested. And our seasoned criminal defense attorneys have the experience, resources, and legal insight to help protect your rights – in fierce pursuit of an advantageous outcome that supports your brightest future. We are on your side and here to help, so please don’t delay contacting us online or calling 866-488-3181 for more information about what we can do to help you today.