Our criminal defense lawyer understands the difficulty of your situation. He can help. But you need to take some initial steps on your own behalf to ensure that you’re in a position to receive a viable defense. If you live in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, or any other South Carolina community and you need an experienced criminal defense lawyer, please call the Law Office of Bill Nettles today at (803) 590-7471.
Do You Know Your Rights During an Arrest?
The Constitution gives you several rights as a criminal defendant, but when you’ve been arrested, the two most important are these: the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. These two rights should be the foundation of your actions after your arrest. Put simply, if you’ve been arrested and accused of a crime, do not speak to the police without your attorney present. This is a hard and fast rule, and it has to be. Too many defendants have incriminated themselves in a good faith effort to work through a “misunderstanding” with the police. Don’t be among their number.
It’s a common scenario: you’ve been arrested, you’re not guilty, you think there must be some kind of mistake, and you just want to go home. You sit across a table from a police officer and try to calmly explain the situation. This can go bad in so many ways. The police are human, which means they will see everything you say through the lens of the narrative they’ve already constructed. You think you’re explaining your innocence, and they might see what you’re saying as damning evidence of your guilt.
Misunderstandings do happen, and it’s possible to work through them after being accused of a crime. But only when you have an experienced attorney on your side. Bill Nettles will listen to your story and advise you on how to proceed and how much you should speak to the police. When the police start asking you questions, invoke your right to silence and request a criminal defense lawyer as soon as you can. The police might try to convince you that this makes you “look guilty,” but invoking your Constitutional rights is never evidence of guilt.
Contact the Law Office of Bills Nettles After You Have Been Accused of a Crime
Remain calm after your arrest and resist the temptation to grow angry or frustrated. You need to keep your wits about you-doing so will prove tremendously beneficial in the long run. If you need to know what to do after being accused of a crime in South Carolina, contact a criminal defense lawyer with experience in difficult criminal matters. Please call the Law Office of Bill Nettles today at (803) 590-7471.
