Your Top 5 Questions For Criminal Defense Attorneys In Texas Answered

In this article, you’ll discover:

• What you can expect from a first consultation with an attorney
• What you should or should not do while your case is ongoing
• Questions you should ask an attorney before committing to their representation

What Can I Expect During My First Consultation With Your Office?

I offer in-person consultations, but the majority of consultations I do are over the phone. Whichever way we communicate, we’ll talk about the details of your case, typically starting with your telling me how the police first became involved. We go through the entire situation, including how it’s affecting you today. I need to get that information to understand the background of your case.

Every case is different. There can be two robbery cases where it’s hard to believe it’s the same offense as the situations are so different. I always make sure I understand the problem exactly. Once I know that, we’ll talk about what the process would look like if you brought me on to help with the case, how I would handle the case and what to expect going forward. I’ll also answer any questions that you have.

How Much Experience Do You Have With Cases In Specific Practice Areas Like Mine?

I’ve been representing clients for 10 years. I have experience getting good resolutions in a variety of cases. What I don’t do is oversell my experience.

A potential client contacted me to represent them in a capital murder case. I’ve never been involved in a capital murder case. I was upfront with them about that. I told them I would bring on an experienced attorney who does capital work if they went with us. I needed to let them know I’ve handled big cases before, but I’ve never handled one of these.

Ultimately, they decided to go with another firm, which I completely respected. It’s important for people to understand and believe that the attorney that they’ve hired is qualified and competent to do a good job with their case.

How Often Will You Update Me On My Case?

We send updates whenever anything important happens. If the case still needs to be filed when I’m brought on, we will contact you as soon as it’s filed. We’ll let you know when a case gets indicted or if we receive notice of a court setting.

Once we get access to all the evidence and I review it, we meet with you and go over the evidence. Sometimes, after that initial evidence dump, the state will produce other evidence as it comes in. As soon as we get new evidence, we call and talk to you about that.

Sometimes, a client will say, “We haven’t heard from you in a while. Has anything changed?” If we say, “No, it hasn’t,” that’s the end of it. It gives people peace of mind knowing that if they call their lawyer, they will get a call back if they don’t talk to me directly.

Anytime something changes with your case, we talk to you about it. We’re available by phone or text. If people have questions about their case, it’s easy to get in touch with us.

Attorney Robert Keating is an experienced lawyer based in Fort Worth, TX, who has helped clients just like you navigate the intricacies of criminal law. With many favorable case outcomes to his credit, he is prepared to assist you in effectively defending criminal charges so you can move on with your life.

Still have questions? Ready to get started? Contact the Law Offices of Robert Keating today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Can You Keep Me Out Of Jail?

It really depends on the specific circumstances of your case. Suppose somebody was arrested and posted bond on a misdemeanor case in Tarrant County, and they don’t have a lengthy criminal history. If they appear in court, it’s unlikely they’ll do additional jail time.

We’ll ensure you understand what you are to do regarding your bond conditions and when and how early you’re supposed to be in court so you’re not hung up in security. Violating bond conditions and failing to show up in court are why people typically go back to jail after they’ve bonded out for a case.

Will you get jail time as a result of the case? That depends entirely on the specifics of your case. We’ll work hard to keep you informed, seek evidence in your defense, and make sure that your rights are respected at each step.

What Is The Most Important Thing I Should Do (Or Avoid Doing) While My Case Is Ongoing?

Don’t talk about your case with anyone but me or my paralegal. Be careful about social media use. Check in with your bail bondsman. If they have you reporting into probation pretrial, make sure you check in with them.

Update us if contact information changes. That’s important. Sometimes, I’ll have clients that get a new phone number and don’t tell me. I’ll receive an update on their case, and I can’t contact them.

If there are relevant documents, text messages or social media posts for your case, preserve them and get them to me so I can review them. There’s nothing worse than a client saying, “I had text messages that said this, but they’re gone now.” If we had those text messages, they could have made a big difference in the case. It’s essential from the beginning to preserve those communications.

What Questions Should I Ask My Defense Attorney Before Committing To Representation?

There isn’t a specific question to ask. How much experience an attorney has in handling a case is important to many people. You should ask as many questions as you need to feel comfortable and confident hiring someone who will represent you the right way.

I encourage people when they call me to have multiple consultations with attorneys to ensure they’re going with somebody they’re comfortable with. It’s easy to feel powerless and that you’re being swept along in this system. I recognize that. The best way to have control is to choose someone you trust to represent you.

What Should I Do If I Want To Be More Involved In My Defense?

That’s case-by-case specific. In some cases, there’s a lot you can do. In others, there’s little you can do besides not talking about the case and ensuring you’re doing what the court requires.

If you would like to be more involved and your medical background plays a role in your case, you may be able to handle the releases and request all the records from your medical providers. That helps, and it gives you a little bit of control over your case. Apart from this, I’ll keep you updated as your case progresses and make sure you’re informed at each step.

Still Have Questions? Ready To Get Started?

For more information on Your Top 5 Questions For Criminal Defense Attorneys In Texas Answered, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (888) 694-7006 today.