Five Things to Consider When Looking For a Criminal Attorney:

1. Do they specialize in Criminal Law?
2. Have they handled this type of criminal case?
3. Do they have the staff and the resources to properly handle your case?
4. Are they well established and respected throughout the legal community?
5. Are they honest in assessing your case and quoting your fee?

If You Are Pulled Over By The Police:

Do not make any rapid movements. The Officer may suspect that you are hiding something or going for a weapon. Do not exit the vehicle upon being stopped unless requested to do so by the officer. The police officer will be nervous and curious why you want to keep him from seeing the inside of your vehicle.

Always keep you hands visible. Always ask for permission to go into the center counsel or glove box.

Remember that although you are uncomfortable when pulled over, it is twice as uncomfortable for the Officer because the officer is afraid that you may be armed. Therefore anyway that you can ease the fear for the officer's own safety the better off you will be.

The police will ask for your permission to search your vehicle. The best advice is to say, "No, thank you". If they have to ask your permission, you may assume they have no right to search your car. If they had the right, they would not bother asking. Only consent to a search of your car if you are absolutely positive that no contraband will be found and you are sure that none of your friends have left anything in your vehicle.

If You Are Arrested:

You should try to remain calm and ask repeatedly to speak to an attorney. Many police officers will try very hard to convince you that you do not need an attorney or that you will be better off talking to them without an attorney. Make no mistake -- a police officer's goal is to get you to make a statement that will incriminate you, or worse, get you to confess to a crime. If they say that they want to help you out, then they should not mind that you want to talk to an attorney first.

If You Are Questioned:

If the police question you, it is very important that you ask to speak to an attorney before the questioning begins. Common sense tells us that if they want to question you, they probably suspect that you were involved in some criminal activity. Above all, do not write out a statement until you have spoken with an attorney.

A common tactic the police are using to get around the need for Miranda Rights being read is to tell you that you are free to leave at any time. Courts have held that the freedom to leave at anytime removes the custodial aspect of the interrogation, which then does not trigger the protections of Miranda.

Another common tactic the police use to get around the assertion of the right to have an attorney present is to require the person being questioned to make an unequivocal assertion of the right to have an attorney. For instance, the statement, "I want to talk to an attorney" can be viewed by the officer as a desire to speak with an attorney. However if you state, "I refuse to speak with you unless an attorney is present," then there is no question of whether the right has been asserted.