Frequently Asked Questions

If you enter a plea of no contest or of guilty, there will not be a trial. In this situation, you will either be sentenced immediately or sentenced at a later time. If you are to be sentenced at some point in the future, the judge will determine whether you should be held in custody until sentencing or whether you should be released and ordered to appear for sentencing.

If you entered a not guilty plea you will have a trial. At the end of your trial, if you are found not guilty, you will be free to go, and, for you, the criminal process will end at that point. If you are found guilty, you will go through the sentencing process as described above.

When you are placed under arrest, the police must inform you of your constitutional rights. This includes your right to remain silent and your right to obtain the advice of an attorney. When you are arrested, you should be given an opportunity to contact a lawyer or anyone else you want to let know what has happened to you. You are not limited to a single call. Once you are arrested there is a limited amount of time before you must either be charged with a crime or released. If you have been held for an unreasonable amount of time without being charged, your attorney can ask a judge to order your release.

The criminal process begins with a stop or an arrest. It could end at any point up to the time of sentencing, depending on the facts and circumstances of any particular case. You have certain rights at every stage of the criminal process. If you are stopped by a police officer but not arrested, you do not have to answer any questions that the police officer asks you. They may ask to search you or your vehicle, but they cannot do so without your consent unless they have probable cause.

You cannot challenge the existence of probable cause until later. Therefore, you should tell the police officer that you do not consent to a search of your vehicle. The police officer may perform a search anyway, but if it is later determined that there was no probable cause, at least you won’t have consented to the search. The police officer could decide at this point that there is no reason to arrest you and your involvement in the criminal process could end here.

If a person allows his legal representation to be a public defender or someone less qualified, the consequences can be disastrous. While public defenders may have their clients’ interests at heart, they likely lack the experience and time it takes to present an effective defense. Get the dedicated and skilled legal representation you need when facing violent crime charges. Contact Crawford and Boyle, LLC, right away.

Yes. Law enforcement spends most of their resources on violent crime investigations as opposed to other less serious crimes. If you were charged with a violent crime, you must take it seriously. Our team at Crawford and Boyle, LLC, can begin our own in-depth investigation of the facts and evidence being brought against you. We can establish challenges to any evidence brought against you and mount an aggressive and vigorous defense on your behalf.

Prosecutors will go to great lengths to paint you as a dangerous villain who should not be let back into the public. As former prosecutors, Eric Crawford and David Boyle are well aware of the procedures being undertaken by law enforcement to gain a conviction. With their unique insight into the workings of the prosecution, they can mount a well-prepared defense that protects their clients’ interests.