Hiring a criminal defense attorney is one of the most important decisions that you will make in your life. When you are charged with a crime, your freedom, your career, and your reputation are at stake. It is essential that the lawyer you select practices criminal defense exclusively, and has experience handling the type of charges brought against you. Additionally, you and your lawyer must be able to communicate easily, effectively, and confidently.
When charged with a crime, many individuals and families fail to take the time necessary to select the best attorney. There are many reasons for that. Most people have never had to hire a criminal defense attorney before. Being arrested and charged with a serious crime is a terrifying experience. When a loved one is charged with a felony offense, a bond is frequently required, and the family is frequently frantic to have someone to handle the case.
If you find yourself in this situation, I urge you to take your time. In the age of the Internet, there is information available about most lawyers. Most basically, the Arizona State Bar has a website, listing every lawyer in Arizona. Lawyers are required to list their area of interest. If you, or a loved one, are charged with a criminal offense, you want a lawyer whose area of interest is criminal defense. You do not want a lawyer who focuses on other areas, such as domestic relations, wills, personal injury, etcetera. Those lawyers, in lean times, will take a criminal case, and at a reduced rate. But they are simply incapable of defending your case against an experienced prosecutor who has spent years doing nothing but representing the State in criminal cases. If you are charged with a crime, you must have a lawyer who focuses on criminal defense.
Almost every lawyer’s website advertises accomplishments, real or imagined. Many of these supposed “accomplishments” are merely purchased, or illusory. A few are real. The Martindale-Hubbell service has been ranking attorneys for over 30 years. They obtain those rankings by polling lawyers in the locale in which the ranked attorney practices. The Choosing a Lawyer rating system rates attorneys from A (highest) to B (middle) to C (lowest) ranking. Martindale-Hubbell attaches a “V” to lawyers who maintain high ethical standards. For many years, I have had an AV rating, the highest rating possible through Martindale-Hubbell.
A listing in Best Lawyers in America is another real credential. Lawyers are selected for listing in Best Lawyers in America only if they are voted on by their peers. You cannot pay to be listed in Best Lawyers in America. I have been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 2000.
In 1994, I was selected as Trial Lawyer of the Year by the American Trial Lawyers for Public Justice. That organization selects a handful of lawyers throughout the entire United States to be honored for unusual accomplishments. I am extremely proud of that award, and am one of only two criminal defense attorneys in Tucson to have received it.