Hiring the right person for the job can be a difficult undertaking. It is even more problematic when that person will learn intimate details about your life and work closely with you, like your criminal defense attorney or therapist. It isn’t enough to hire the most famous Santa Rosa criminal defense attorney; you need to hire one who will respect you, call you back, and remember that he is dealing with your life.

Going through the criminal process is stressful; the kind of stress that you have probably never experienced. The dread of being arrested, going to jail, and of seeing all your life’s work go up in smoke because of one mistake. This post will go over how to hire the right criminal defense attorney in Santa Rosa.

• • Type

There are many different types of criminal attorneys. You want a lawyer who has fought cases like yours before. For example, there are attorneys who can focus their practice on DUIs. If you are charged with drug possession, you do not want a lawyer that fights only DUIs. Ask the attorney about his practice and what percentage of your cases make up his clientele.

• • Experience

Think about the experience, not just fighting your cases, but experience in your particular courtroom. You will be assigned a specific judge (i.e., courtroom). You want an attorney that knows the judge and whom the judge knows. If your attorney has the respect of the prosecutors and judges, that will go a long way in successfully defending your case.

• • Trial Experience

You want an attorney that isn’t afraid to go to trial. Many criminal attorneys focus on getting good plea bargains, rather than trial. However, you need a lawyer who is willing to fight your case to trial because it shows the prosecutor that your attorney is willing to go all the way.

• • Reviewing past clients

Keep in mind that no criminal defense attorney can get “not guilty” all the time – it isn’t possible. Therefore, when reviewing their past work, keep in mind the perspective of the client. If a case was pleaded down to a lesser charge, that could be considered a win because the client avoided more serious charges.

If you need a Santa Rosa criminal defense attorney, please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Joseph Bisbiglia.