Contacting An Attorney in Rockville

Arrested or charged with a crime in Maryland? The following is what you should know about when to contact an attorney during the criminal process. For more on what you should expect, call and schedule a free consultation with a Rockville criminal lawyer today.

Despite common belief, telling an officer you’d like to speak with an attorney does not imply guilt.  On the contrary, it implies an awareness of your rights and an intelligence about the system. Officers may act like it’s very bothersome when somebody invokes their rights, but it’s important to do so to ensure that you do not incriminate yourself.
You have the right to speak to an attorney anytime, however, an officer does not have to give you access to a telephone while he or she is in the process of arresting you or in the process of investigating you. Despite this, throughout these processes you may always try to decline answering an officer’s questions and you have the right to remain silent at any time. The officer cannot force you to answer questions or comply with an investigation. Simply remaining silent until you have an opportunity to actually speak to your attorney is usually the best of course of action in these cases and it does not imply guilt.  In fact, it cannot be used against you in a court of law.

When Can You Contact an Attorney?

Usually, after you’re arrested, an officer may give you an opportunity to make a phone call either to your attorney or to a friend or family member to let them know where you are and let them know what has happened.  Not everybody gets a right to a phone call right away, but generally speaking, most officers do give people access to the telephone to make a phone call to speak with somebody about getting advice on what to do next.

Speaking to a Rockville Attorney Before You Are Charged

Speaking with counsel before you’re charged is important because officers will try to speak with you and obtain information to build a case against you. Speaking to an attorney will help you understand what you should or should not be doing in terms of answering their questions and getting your own affairs in order to prepare to be questioned or to be investigated for a criminal charge.
When somebody is charged with a criminal offense, there are other things to take into consideration as well.  One of the important things to take into consideration is that once you are charged, you may be held for a period of time and not released.  There may be a bond review hearing that takes place.  At a bond review hearing, you have the right to have counsel present to argue your bond on your behalf.  Oftentimes, if you do not secure counsel in advance, it may be difficult for you to actually secure that counsel once you have been arrested and charged because you will be in custody. Getting those kinds of affairs in order in advance of actually being charged is important as you have the opportunity to speak with a lawyer. A lawyer can help you prepare for what is going to happen once you’re arrested.