Hiring a Maryland Carjacking Lawyer

There are many different reasons why hiring a Maryland carjacking lawyer could be beneficial for a person facing a carjacking charge. Legal consequences for such an offense could be extensive and severe. A person who proceeds to court without legal counsel could have a more difficult time achieving a positive outcome.

Speak with a thorough carjacking attorney who is well-versed in legal procedures. They could examine the contributing factors to your case and potentially help identify effective legal solutions. Preparing for court appearances and a trial may substantially help a person present a strong defense and better articulate their side of the story.

Advantages of Retaining an Attorney After a Conviction

When a conviction for a carjacking offense occurs, the person accused typically has either pled guilty or has been convicted by a jury after a trial. Following a conviction, a person should consider hiring a Maryland carjacking lawyer to represent them at a sentencing hearing or to assist in an appeal of the conviction.

After a person is convicted of carjacking, they will need to be sentenced. Sometimes, if a person has pled guilty, the sentencing hearing will take place right away, essentially as part of the plea hearing. More often and almost always after a trial, the sentencing hearing will take place approximately six weeks after the verdict is delivered.

Steps the Defense Might Take at a Sentencing

At sentencing, an attorney could advocate for a lenient sentence and less restrictive conditions of probation. This is the opportunity to show the judge that the person in their courtroom is more than a defendant. A lawyer could arrange for supportive family members and friends to speak on a convicted person’s behalf. Another option could be for family and friends to write letters to the judge and the attorney could synthesize all of the information into a cohesive package that may demonstrate why the requested sentence is appropriate.

Other times, a person may want to appeal their conviction. There are many different valid reasons to appeal, including procedural, evidentiary, or other legal mistakes that may have been made during the initial trial. A skilled carjacking lawyer may be able to identify the grounds for appeal and draft the appeal brief which commonly argues why the conviction should be overturned.

Defending Against a Current Carjacking Allegation

When a person first speaks to an attorney, they typically will want to know more about the situation such as the specific allegations and the surrounding factors of the auto theft case. An attorney may ask what a person’s alleged role was in the carjacking and they could inquire about the identity of the accuser. If the person charged with the carjacking offense knew the accuser, there could be other factors influencing the case. In many situations, the nature of a person’s supposed involvement in an alleged carjacking offense may strongly influence their case. For example, a bystander and a sole perpetrator of a carjacking typically will have different court cases and legal options.

The next thing a lawyer may want to know from the person is how accurate the allegation could be. In other words, the attorney wants to know what actually happened during the alleged incident. The narrative described by the police in the charging document is not always accurate. To gain more insight into the alleged situation, the attorney may ask about the individual’s personal account of what happened to compare with the allegation. Finally, a detail-oriented carjacking lawyer may want to know if there were any witnesses to the alleged offense. In many cases, an eyewitness may not be reliable or may have misinterpreted what they saw. Additionally, surveillance video could impact a person’s case depending on the circumstances.

The Benefits of Hiring a Maryland Carjacking Attorney

If you were accused of a carjacking offense, it could be beneficial to think about hiring a Maryland carjacking lawyer. They could review the details of your case and work to determine whether the allegations are substantial. Despite the circumstances of your case, an attorney who understands carjacking cases in Maryland could potentially represent you in court and help advocate on your behalf.