If you have recently been charged with a criminal offense, you should seek the counsel of a qualified Florida criminal defense attorney as soon as you can. That said, you definitely want to work with an experienced lawyer who understands the legal “ins” and “outs” of your particular situation, and as such, it is important that you seek an attorney who has handled these types of cases before.

Organize all Legal Documentation

After scheduling an initial meeting with a criminal defense lawyer, you should prepare yourself for the meeting ahead by gathering all relevant documents. Some of the items that you should take with you include a copy of the police report (if available), documents relating to your arrest, any documents related to court dates, bail papers, and related legal information. At this time, you should also consider making a list of the other possible suspects, victims, and witnesses involved in the case.

Prepare Comments and Questions

In order to ensure that you cover all points at your first meeting, you should write down the topics that you wish to discuss with your potential criminal defense lawyer. Do remember to also write down questions for the lawyer as well. Some questions to ask a criminal defense attorney during this meeting can include:

• How long have you been a criminal defense lawyer?
• What bar associations or other organizations do you belong to?
• How familiar are you with handling cases related to the charges that I face?
• How would you handle this case?
• How much time do you have to give to my case?
• What type of time-line do you expect for this case?
• How can I contact you when I have a question and when should I expect a reply?
• How do you charge for your services and what specifically is included?

Have you or someone you know been charged with a crime? Contact expert Florida defense lawyers here at Musca Law – you can reach us at 1-866-Musca-Law to arrange your completely free legal consultation.

A man was sentenced by a Florida judge to a record 845 years in a February 2000 conviction.  Sholam Weiss, who is not due for release from federal prison until 2754, is now seeking to appeal the sentence.  Weiss and six co-defendants were convicted in a scheme that led to the 1994 collapse of National Heritage Life Insurance Company that cost almost 25,000 individuals their life savings.  Weiss was convicted on all 93 counts of pocketing $125 million and sentenced to what the Department of Justice indicates is the longest sentence ever for a white-collar criminal. 

During the trial but prior to jury deliberations, Weiss fled the country and eventually ended up in Austria where he was captured in 2000.  The Austrian appeal panel initially declined to extradite Weiss based on the extradition being “contrary to human rights.”  Attorneys for Weiss contend that Austrian authorities changed their mind only after federal prosecutors said Weiss would be re-sentenced and allowed to appeal his sentence.  Attorneys for Weiss argue that the Austrian authorities made extradition contingent on the re-sentencing and right to appeal. Read more »