Criminal Defense Lawyers in Los Banos
The professional attorneys of Germino, Amaral & Jordan are here to assist you with your legal needs should you ever be arrested or find yourself under investigation on criminal charges in Merced County. If you have been arrested or cited for a criminal offense, or if you are being investigated for alleged criminal misconduct or questioned by the police, our criminal defense lawyers should be the first people you call.
- Our Criminal Law Practice -
We can help defend clients in misdemeanor or felony cases. In most situations, whether or not you are guilty or innocent, it is usually wiser and better for your case to exercise your Fifth Amendment right to keep silent until you get in touch with an experienced, knowledgeable, and diligent criminal defense attorney who is well versed in criminal law practice and local criminal court procedures.
We believe that your first call, after you are arrested or become aware that you are under any form of criminal investigation should be to us.
As criminal defense attorneys in Merced County, it is our job to be legal advocates for our clients. We are not here to judge your guilt or innocence, but rather to insure that all of your legal rights are protected, including those having to do with an arrest and all aspects of the investigation including but not limited to the collection of physical evidence, witness testimony, and proper procedures with regard to correctly recording and reporting of the crime - before charges are even filed by the Merced County District Attorney's office.
- Call Us Early -
At Germino, Amaral & Jordan, we are well versed in the critical areas needed to help our clients with defending their rights as suspects in a criminal case. Remember, in the United States you are considered innocent until proven guilty. This means that once retained by you, we will put considerable effort into making sure that your rights have been protected at every juncture and that the laws were followed by all parties concerned with regard to the charges being filed against you.
Specifically, our attorneys will initially meet with you, if necessary even during the first 'interviews' (questioning) that are conducted by the police.
Our attorneys will help to insure that your constitutional rights are protected. For this to be effective you should contact us as soon as possible after you have become aware that you are being arrested or are under investigation on criminal charges.
We are here to assure that your constitutional rights are protected!
Of particular note is the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution. Your Fifth Amendment right against inadvertently 'becoming a witness against yourself' must be protected early on. You have the absolute right to remain silent in a criminal case in which you become the target of an investigation. Your use of the right to remain silent can not be used against you and often denies law enforcement the evidence it will use against you. While we do not give legal advice online, it is our belief that, in general, most people are better off calling an attorney before making ANY statements to investigators so as not to say anything that MIGHT tend to incriminate themselves.
Many times, even the most seemingly innocuous protestations indicating that you are innocent have the potential to be used against you in court. Even those people who are completely innocent of all wrongdoing can get themselves into trouble and make their defense much more difficult by talking outside the presence of their attorney. The following video is NOT presented as legal advice nor do we necessarily agree with every aspect of it. However the video does point out just how critical it is to have an attorney before making statements to investigators: click here - Don't Talk To The Police Video
We understand your rights as a suspect or accused person and we are also fully versed in the practicalities and the inner workings of the Merced County Court system. It is our goal to shepherd our clients through the complex criminal process as well as the criminal investigation process - including any questioning by the authorities during the initial phases of our client's arrest, detention, as well as all other subsequent interactions.
- The Criminal Court Process -
After the initial arrest and police interviews, a criminal case will be presented to the Merced District Attorney's office for formal filing of charges. It is at this stage that our attorneys will review all of the police reports, potential evidence, and charges that have been levied against our clients.
At this stage we attempt to assure that all searches and seizures of evidence were done within the bounds of the Fourth Amendment and that other applicable laws of the state of California and the Constitution of the United States were followed. If these laws have not been followed we may be able to stop the case before it ever begins.
In the early part of a criminal case we will help with the arraignment process (the hearing where a client is formally informed of the charges against him and asked to put in a plea of guilty, not guilty, or nolo-contendre (no contest).
In addition, there may be preliminary hearings in which evidence is presented against you. It is at this stage that a good criminal defense attorney can sometimes get the charges thrown out if the police or others gathered evidence that is inadmissible at trial. This can sometimes happen when a client's Fourth or Fifth Amendment rights have been violated or knowingly circumvented, incorrectly waived, or for a number of other technical reasons.
Should the criminal case continue forward after the initial arraignment or preliminary hearing process, we will work closely with our client, witnesses, and sometimes private investigators to put together a robust trial defense and convince the members of a jury that our clients are not guilty of the charges against them.
A criminal trial is a complex proceeding which includes the proper questioning and selection of jurors, discussions with the district attorney or his subordinates, as well as filings, motions, and finally a courtroom trial where a client's future will be decided by twelve strangers.
It is important to have a professional and experienced lawyer help with all aspects of a criminal trial and our attorneys stand ready to assist with your criminal defense needs.
- Plea Bargaining Assistance -
Should even our most robust criminal defense look doubtful in the face of the evidence and witnesses against a client, it is sometimes a good idea to explore the idea of a plea bargain.
A plea-bargain is an agreement between a person charged with a crime and the Merced County District Attorney's Office which allows for either a reduced incarceration time, or in different (lesser) charges being filed against a suspect in exchange for the suspect making a guilty or nolo-contendre plea.
Plea bargaining can be a win-win situation because the county (prosecution) does not have to spend the money on a lengthy jury trial and a legally-guilty client can walk away with a lighter sentence and or lesser fines or lesser criminal convictions on his record. It is also a less costly legal procedure for a case which will likely result in a conviction.
Plea bargains are sometimes highly negotiated and or technical legal agreements. Therefore, an experienced lawyer who knows the local Merced County court system should play a crucial part in all such discussions and negotiations. Our attorneys are highly competent at dealing with plea-bargains and stand ready to help.
- Contact Us -
Please contact us right away if you have the need to retain a criminal defense attorney in Merced County. The lawyers that we currently have assigned to our criminal law practice are:
Scott Jordan - click here for more information about Criminal Defense Attorney Scott Jordan.
Please contact us to discuss how we may be able to help with any of your criminal defense needs.
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Germino, Amaral & Jordan primarily serves Merced County and the Westside. This includes but is not limited to Los Banos, Dos Palos, Santa Nella, Merced, Gustine, Patterson, Firebaugh, Newman, Chowchilla and the rural areas in between.
If you believe that you have need of an experienced attorney who will represent you by helping to sort out criminal charges of any kind please contact us first. If we are not able to represent you we may be able to direct you to another local attorney who can.