Charlotte law enforcement officials spend a significant amount of time investigating crimes, including pre-charge criminal investigations. During a criminal investigation, if your name comes up, the police may question you. Most people become nervous when a federal or state law enforcement agent shows up at their door and asks to speak with them. If this happens to you, you may not be sure what to do. Sometimes people even admit to crimes they have not committed because they are so nervous.
Contact Our Pre-Charge Criminal Investigation LawyersIf you are part of a pre-charge investigation, you need a lawyer to help you protect your rights. At Arnold & Smith PLLC, we are available to represent your interests during pre-trial investigations. Law enforcement officials may tell you that hiring a lawyer while you are part of a pre-charge investigation could make you seem guilty, but that is not true.
Hiring a lawyer during an investigation will help you protect your rights and reduce your chances of a conviction. Contact our Charlotte pre-charge criminal investigation law firm today to schedule your case evaluation.
What is a Pre-Charge Investigation?Charlotte residents may be suspected of a crime at any time during a criminal investigation. A pre-charge or pre-indictment investigation happens when a crime has been committed but prosecutors have not filed a criminal indictment yet. During the pre-charge investigation stage, prosecutors and law enforcement often work together to gather enough evidence to charge a suspect with a crime.
Sometimes, law enforcement will consider someone as a suspect in a crime. Evidence might come up that shows that someone else is the suspect. It can be difficult to understand what is going on when the police come to talk to you multiple times during a criminal investigation. On top of that, police officers might pressure you to make a false confession. This is why it is important to consult with an attorney if you are involved in a pre-charge criminal investigation.
Law enforcement tries to gather evidence through “voluntary contact.” Voluntary contact happens when police officers ask a suspect to voluntarily speak to them about crime. During voluntary contact, police officers are not legally required to advise you of your Miranda rights because you have been arrested or are not in police custody.
Why You Need to Consult an Attorney Before You Speak to Police OfficersThe most important thing you can do during a pre-trial investigation is to consult with a lawyer before you answer any police officer questions. After a pre-indictment investigation, prosecutors can decide whether or not they have enough evidence to charge a defendant with a criminal charge. Unfortunately, sometimes prosecutors will bring charges even when they do not have enough evidence to prove that the defendant committed a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.
Hiring a lawyer before you speak to law enforcement is necessary at any stage of an investigation. Even if you voluntarily speak to police officers at the very early stages of an investigation, they can use your statements against you.
Many people think that they just want to help the police find the person who committed the crime. While this is admirable, you need to focus on your rights and the potential that you will be investigated later on in the process. At the end of the day, police officers and prosecutors are focused on bringing charges, not on protecting the rights of innocent people.
Speaking to a lawyer will make sure that your rights are protected throughout the entire process. You are not required to speak to police officers without your own legal representation present, no matter how much police officers pressure you to speak. Remember that your rights are at stake, even during a pre-investigation process.
You Need to Stay a Step Ahead of the ProsecutorsSo much of your life is at stake when you are under a criminal investigation. Our lawyers will do their own research into the evidence involved in your case. At Arnold & Smith PLLC, we have extensive experience fighting for our clients throughout all stages of criminal investigations. We can easily recognize the tactics used by Charlotte law enforcement and prosecutors.
By working with our law firm, you can rest easy knowing that law enforcement officers are not abusing your rights or taking advantage of you. If you are part of a pre-investigation in Charlotte, our legal team can help. Contact Arnold & Smith PLLC today to schedule your case evaluation to learn how we can protect your rights.