Criminal defense lawyers are the last line of defense between your constitutional rights and the government’s police power. We take great pride in catching the government breaking the rules and holding them accountable for it. Rampant police corruption, incompetence, and abuse of power has been in the national spotlight for years now. Montana unfortunately suffers from the same systematic problems as the rest of the United States. Catching the government violating your rights and breaking the rules could lead to your charges being dropped entirely or could lead to a much more favorable plea deal.
I have seen it all: the police performing clearly unconstitutional searches and seizures; police officers lying in court; police officers doctoring evidence; police officers violating your right to remain silent; and police officers violating your right to an attorney. The police, FBI, jail guards, etc. are not your friends. They will act like they are, and even lie to you or threaten you in hopes you will talk and incriminate yourself, but you have the right to remain silent, and you should exercise that right. It will help you and your lawyer tremendously.
The Constitution of the United States guarantees that you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Regardless, innocent people are charged with crimes every day in Montana courts. Criminal defense attorneys are generally able to get amazing results when people are completely innocent of the charges brought against them. This is done by getting the charges dropped before trial or by securing a not guilty verdict at trial because we make the government prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. If their evidence isn’t strong enough to meet this heavy burden, we make sure the judge and jury know that. While this some times means bad actors are found not guilty, as a country we have decided this is a better than innocent people being convicted of crimes they did not commit.
Having a criminal defense lawyer is important because, beyond catching the government breaking the rules, I:
- Inform my clients about the court process, the charges against them, and the potential penalties if found guilty
- Investigate their case and scrutinize the government’s evidence against them
- Find and assert available defenses against the charges
- Negotiate favorable plea deals
- Conduct judge and jury trials
- Appeal unfavorable verdicts if they were reached in error
It takes knowledge and experience to know when to try a case and when to take a plea deal. If your case is weak, I will tell you, and I will recommend you take a plea deal to avoid to time, burden, and expense of trying your case. However, the decision of whether to take a deal or go all the way to trial is ultimately yours to make.
If you have been arrested or charged with a crime in Montana, including in Missoula County, Ravalli County, Lake County, Flathead County, Silver Bow County, Lewis and Clark County, and Gallatin County and are looking for representation, please contact me today for a free consultation.