No matter what charges you're facing, you are better off with an experienced criminal defense attorney who can help you preserve your rights. Even if you are not entirely innocent, it is important to not simply roll over and take whatever a prosecutor wants to throw at you. The reality of the matter is that criminal defense is not just about protecting those who are innocent. It is also the primary way we have to protect those who have made mistakes from being unfairly punished by an overreaching system.

With proper legal representation, you may find that you have more options than you thought you did. Let's assume that you are facing drug possession charges, because police came to your house and found drugs inside. Whether or not you have ever used, possessed or distributed drugs is really not the issue here — the issue is that you may be unfairly facing very serious charges.

Was anyone else in the house? Do you live alone? On what grounds did the police enter your home, and did they violate your rights when they did? These are important questions that can grant your defense some leverage. Similarly, the prosecution may make errors in its handling of evidence, which may cause your charges to be dismissed or greatly diminished.

When you fight to preserve your rights, you are not only fighting for yourself, you are fighting for everyone who is charged with a similar crime, ensuring that the system does not have too much power to convict citizens unfairly.

If you think that your criminal charges are no big deal, or that you should just take whatever they hand you and live with it, it is wise to reconsider this position. Your life is the only one that you have, and it is crucial to defend your rights and the rights of others by standing up for yourself. Proper legal guidance from an experienced, professional attorney who understands criminal law can help preserve your rights and ensure that the court hears your case fairly. Remember— you're not just fighting for your own rights, you're fighting for the rights of thousands of others who are charged with crimes, justly or not, every year.

Source: FindLaw, "Criminal Defense Strategies," accessed March 01, 2017