Hiring an Attorney When Under Investigation in DC

If you are under investigation from law enforcement in Washington, DC a DC criminal defense attorney is available to help you throughout the process of the investigation and into the beginning of any trial if necessary. To learn more or discuss what can be done to protect you from investigation, call and schedule a free consultation today.

Resources a DC Criminal Attorney Can Provide

There are a number of resources that a Washington, DC attorney may be able to provide people who are under investigation. The first resource is access to an investigative staff. An investigation staff is beneficial to quickly gather information as needed with regards to evidence and the individual’s overall case.

Another important resource an attorney can provide is relevant case law, such as prior decisions, that allow an attorney to make their argument in front of the court at trial. Beyond these two resources it is also beneficial to have a full staff to ensure that they have the capability to be both proactive and reactive thereby ensuring every issue is properly and promptly handled. For this reason, whenever someone is trying to make a decision about retaining a defense attorney, they should consider what resources that defense attorney has to bring to their defense.

Process of Dealing With a DC Criminal Investigation

The first step to take with anyone under investigation is to have a comprehensive discussion with the person under investigation to identify potential witnesses, evidence, and issues, initially in the case. An attorney will then immediately brief investigators and give them tasks with information for following up. It is important to have as much information as possible on potential witnesses so that they can be followed up with. This might include talking to the initial witnesses to find out the possible identity or information about other witnesses.

The next step an attorney will take is to identify the evidence that pertains to the case so that it can be uncovered and secured as quickly and comprehensively as possible. A DC criminal attorney will want to gather all possible information that could be helpful to the defense and also want to know about the possible harmful information including any witnesses who may be harmful to the case. An attorney will want to talk to those people as well and determine if they have issues about themselves that could be used to question the veracity of any statements that they will be giving. For example, if they have any biases; or if there are any relationships between the witnesses, or between the witnesses and the defendant.

Important Things to Take Into Account

There is a checklist, but the specific information depends on the specific case. An attorney needs to make sure they have all the information they can get, as early as possible to investigate. In that sense, there is a checklist for identifying the witnesses and the information they have.

Ways a DC Criminal Lawyer Can Help

If you’re being held in custody, make sure that your family and friends know the name and contact information of your attorney. If they have any questions, if they want to speak with your attorney, give any statements, or find out what their rights are, your attorney can direct them to their own counsel if necessary. Your DC criminal defense lawyer will be a good resource for connecting your family and friends with other qualified counsel.

A defendant in DC should not try to obstruct justice or tamper with witnesses by telling them they cannot or should not speak to the police. You don’t want to be in a situation where the defendant is now being accused of obstructing justice or tampering with witnesses or evidence. The defendant should make sure that anyone they think has an interest in the case has the contact information for their defense attorney.

Even if you are unsure, an attorney can look into whether or not there is an ongoing investigation. An experienced criminal defense attorney will know many of the law enforcement detectives and the prosecutors who may be involved, and he or she will be able to look into the client’s matter.

Moreover, a DC criminal attorney will be able to give you advice on what to if you are contacted by law enforcement and what you should be on the lookout for during such interactions, as well as who you should or should not be speaking with. Your attorney will explain these kinds of things to you. If you do not talk to an attorney first, you may make a mistake along the way and inadvertently harm your defense going forward or make your situation worse. If you believe that you are getting investigated, cover your bases and reach out to talk to an attorney.