If you've been arrested for a criminal offense in Phoenix, Arizona, you need a top criminal defense lawyer on your case if you want to obtain the best possible outcome. Here are 7 compelling reasons you should hire a Phoenix criminal defense lawyer.

Reason #1 — They Know How the System Works

If you hire an experienced criminal defense attorney to represent you, they will be able to help you through every step of the way. The criminal justice system can be confusing, even for people who deal with it every day. However, an experienced criminal attorney will know the complex operations of the court system and will be able to guide you through what the process for your individual case will be.

A top Phoenix defense attorney will also be familiar with local court customs and unofficial rules that are not written down anywhere. With this knowledge, they will be able to help you navigate the court system much better than you would be able to do on your own.

Reason #2 — They Can Negotiate a Plea Bargain

One of the major benefits of hiring a criminal defense lawyer is that they can help work out a deal or plea bargain with the prosecutor. A plea bargain is an agreement between the defense and the prosecution. The defendant agrees to plead guilty or no contest in exchange for a concession from the prosecutor. In many cases, a plea bargain can reduce the severity or number of charges against you, while in other cases it may only get you a lower sentence.

Because defense attorneys are in court so regularly, they often develop relationships with prosecutors. Defense lawyers can use their positive relationships with prosecuting attorneys to negotiate a better plea bargain that you likely would be offered if you did not have an attorney.

Reason #3 — They Know Hidden Rules of Criminal Law

Criminal defense attorneys have spent years learning important legal rules that are hidden away in court decisions interpreting federal and state statutes and constitutions. These rules would be almost impossible for you to locate on your own since you would not know what you are looking for or where to look. Some of the legal rules that can be most helpful to your case fall into this category.

For example, a criminal defense attorney can get evidence against you thrown out if it was obtained through a violation of your constitutional rights. Examples of these violations include unlawful search and seizure, illegal traffic stops, unconstitutional witness identification procedures, failure to give Miranda warnings before questioning, and coercion of an involuntary confession. The rules that allow for the exclusion of unconstitutionally-obtained evidence have been established through years of court decisions containing nuanced interpretations of the law that are tailored to the specific facts of each case.

A skilled criminal defense attorney will understand these complex rules and know how to spot unconstitutional police conduct. If the police officers involved in your case did not follow the rules of the constitution, the evidence they gathered as a result of the constitutional violation cannot be used against you. In many cases, this will force the prosecutor to dismiss or drastically reduce the charges against you.

Reason #4 — They Have Been Through This Before

At some time in their many years of practice, an experienced criminal defense attorney has likely dealt with a case that is similar to yours. They can use the knowledge they gained through this experience as a roadmap to guide your case. They also can rely on this experience to provide you with a knowledgeable and objective perspective on your situation, including what is likely to happen if your case goes to trial, whether a plea bargain that the prosecution offered is a good deal based on the facts of your case, and what can be done to obtain the best possible outcome.

Reason #5 — They Can Advise You On Possible Consequences

A top criminal defense attorney will know the possible penalties you will face if you are convicted of the offense you are charged with. This not only includes criminal sentencing but also the possible collateral consequences of a criminal conviction. Collateral consequences are additional civil penalties that you can receive as a result of a criminal conviction. They are further sanctions beyond the direct consequences of a criminal conviction and are not included in your official criminal sentence.

Examples of collateral consequences include losing your professional license, becoming ineligible for public funds such as welfare benefits or student loans, losing your right to possess a gun, losing your voting rights, becoming ineligible for jury duty, and deportation for immigrants. If you do not have an attorney, you might not know what the collateral consequences of a conviction will be, as judges are not required to inform you of any of these consequences except for possible deportation. A criminal lawyer can make sure you know exactly what the consequences of a conviction for certain criminal charges will be.

Reason #6 — They Can Gather Evidence More Easily

A criminal defense lawyer will likely be more successful in gathering evidence and witness statements that are necessary to build solid defenses in criminal cases. Witnesses who can help your case may fear for their safety if they speak out, but a criminal defense lawyer can help alleviate their fears and convince them to provide testimony. Additionally, witnesses can be afraid of people accused of crimes and therefore may be willing to talk to an attorney when they would not be willing to talk to a defendant who is representing themselves.

Criminal defense attorneys can also hire and manage investigators. If an investigator interviews witnesses before trial, the investigator can then serve as a witness themselves in order to contradict prosecution witnesses who change their stories at trial. This is a much more effective trial strategy than the defendant themselves testifying that the witness said something different before trial. As an at least somewhat objective third party, a jury will be much more likely to believe the investigator's testimony than self-serving testimony from a self-represented defendant.

Reason #7 — They Can Help Work Out Better Sentencing Programs

If you plead guilty or are found guilty at trial, a skilled criminal defense attorney can help negotiate a more suitable sentence for your circumstances and your needs. For example, they may be able to work out a sentence in a drug treatment facility for a drug possession conviction when the default sentence would include jail time. They also can help you get into an alternative to regular criminal adjudication such as drug court. This kind of result will not only help you avoid imprisonment but will also help you get the treatment you need to avoid another arrest once you re-enter society.