I get asked many times by people whether they need to hire an attorney for their Probation Revocation (C.R.S. 18-1.3-201), Marijuana Possession (C.R.S. 18-18-406), and Trespass (C.R.S. 18-4-504) case. The answer never changes: yes, you need to hire an experienced Denver criminal defense attorney to fight the charges and to get the best outcome. The main reason is because people often want to complete a Record Sealing of a prior case because they can’t get a job with their record. How a case is handled will determine whether it can be sealed.
There are certain requirements for Record Sealing of a criminal record in Colorado. If you are acting as your own attorney, you might get the wrong deal worked out with the District Attorney and then be stuck with a permanent record that will haunt you for the rest of your life. You could also end up losing your trial because you don’t know the procedure rules with regard to evidence admissibility to the jury.
People who represent themselves don’t know the best way to prepare for the Record Sealing in advance. They may have some experience with the criminal justice system in Arapahoe, Denver, or Weld County, but that small amount of knowledge is far less than what is needed to combat the District Attorneys in those jurisdictions, who want a permanent record. Lawyers have to go to college for seven years, and then practice for many years learning how the system works by working for or with a more experienced attorney. They fight for clients after years of training and experience.
To emphasize this point, Abraham Lincoln once said “he who represents himself has a fool for a client.” Even as a practicing attorney, if I found myself in a situation where I was charged with a crime, I would look for someone to represent me. If you need glasses, do you call the optometrist? The answer is that you call the person who has experience handling the situation you are in.
Hire a lawyer in Douglas, Adams, or Jefferson County to help with your Record Sealing. That is always the smart move. As criminal defense attorneys in the Denver metro area, we deal with District Attorneys on a daily basis. We know them, we know their strategies, and we know their office policies. If you or a loved one have been charged with a crime like Assault (C.R.S. 18-2-204), Theft (C.R.S. 18-4-401), or criminal mischief (C.R.S. 18-4-501), be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and call us today at 303-731-0719. Together, we can protect your future.