When a person is arrested and they know they are guilty of the crime they’re accused of, they may wonder if it’s a good idea to hire a lawyer or if they may want to go ahead and just plead guilty. After all, the assumption is there is enough evidence for them to be found guilty and they may be given a more lenient sentence if they go ahead and admit their guilt. This isn’t how it works most of the time and there actually is quite a bit a criminal attorney in Bel Air, MD can do to help them escape a conviction.
One of the most common legal defenses is the fruit of the forbidden tree defense. When a person is searched prior to or following their arrest, there are certain procedures that need to be followed. If these procedures are not followed, they evidence found because of them will not be able to be used. If the illegal search leads to evidence that causes the officer to perform a different search and more evidence is found there, this also might not be admissible in court because it was only found due to the original search that was illegal.
There are some notable exceptions to this law, which is why hiring a criminal defense attorney is essential. One of the main defenses is that the evidence would have been found anyway. If the evidence was in a place where the officer would have noticed it at some point, it can still be used even though the original search was done illegally. This can be confusing for someone who isn’t familiar with the law because it can be difficult to tell if the evidence will fall under the fruit of the forbidden tree defense or an exception like this one.
Anyone who has been arrested should speak with a criminal attorney in Bel Air, MD as soon as possible. Even if they are guilty, the evidence may not have been legally collected and, therefore, cannot be used against them to secure a conviction; a lawyer will understand the finer points of these laws and use them to help their client. For more information or to find a lawyer to speak with today, visit website now.
