As New York Criminal defense lawyers we often face the perception that our job is to help guilty people walk. And while we won’t say our clients are never guilty (guilty people have rights too) we represent many who are innocent.

And if you’re convicted of a crime, you need us. A public defender is a bad bet. All too often innocent clients trust a public defender will be enough, believing their innocence is sure to be as clear to a jury as it is to anyone else. But wrongful convictions happen all the time.

How common are wrongful convictions? Let’s look at the 2018 local headlines alone. In five months we’ve seen the following from The New York Post.

• 1/11/2o18 – Another man convicted with help of disgraced cop exonerated after 18 years.
• 1/29/2018 – Man’s murder conviction tossed after more than 20 years behind bars.
• 2/2/2018 – Man wrongfully convicted of rape, murder sues city.
• 2/16/2018 – Man exonerated for murder he didn’t commit is finally free.
• 2/20/2018 – Court tosses conviction of Dad who shot daughter’s boyfriend.
• 3/26/2018 – Man wrongfully convicted of rape and murder returns to White Sox job.
• 4/19/2018 – Man accused in subway killing sues NYC for wrongful imprisonment.
• 5/7/2018 – Two men cleared after wrongful imprisonment for rape.

Any criminal charge is an extremely serious matter, whether you’re innocent or not. Competent and thorough legal representation is the only thing standing between you and lost time. Even if you are exonerated eventually you could lose decades of your life behind bars.

Often, defendants make serious mistakes before their case even begins. Telling the police too much is one common mistake. Some defendants don’t realize they’re the one under investigation until they are too late. Rest assured if a detective is calling you on the phone or is at your door for any reason it’s a good idea to make sure you only speak to them with a criminal defense attorney present.

Our court system is overloaded. Our public defenders are overworked. Juries tend to err on the side of conviction. These are perfect storm conditions you don’t want to be on the wrong side of. You need someone who can not only see the evidence of your case and understand exactly what it means to that case, but who can use that information to tell a compelling story in the courtroom. Juries are often confused and overwhelmed. You need attorneys who can solve that problem for you. 

Don’t take chances.

Instead, contact us to begin launching a vigorous defense that may win you back your freedom. We can give you the focused attention, in-depth investigation and intense understanding your case deserves.