The Financial Reality of Felony Defense
When confronting the financial reality of felony defense, most families quickly realize that lawyer selection is about more than legal fees. If you have been accused of a serious felony in Boone County, your job, professional licenses, retirement, family dynamics, and personal freedom could all be on the line. While price is a consideration, many residents of Lebanon first want to know what is at risk if they fail to hire the right Lebanon felony defense attorney.
Across Lebanon, Whitestown, Zionsville, Thorntown, and neighboring communities, serious felony charges often involve large evidence files, digital evidence, forensics, motion hearings, and aggressive prosecution. The attorney you choose to represent you may have a major impact on how those issues are addressed throughout the legal process.
About The Criminal Defense Team of Baldwin Perry & Wiley, P.C.
The Criminal Defense Team of Baldwin Perry & Wiley, P.C., is an Indiana law firm dedicated to criminal defense work throughout the state. Our attorneys include five of Indiana’s six Board-Certified Criminal Trial Specialists, and we bring 100+ years of combined criminal defense experience to every serious felony case we handle.
Our lawyers have worked as felony prosecutors handling serious felony cases and homicides. We understand how prosecutors think, and we have seen first-hand how prosecutors build criminal cases from the inside-out. Our collaborative approach, where multiple attorneys and a paralegal tackle most cases together, helps us maintain a strong grasp on extensive evidence, manage discovery effectively, and keep clients fully informed.
Why Lawyer Selection Matters in Felony Cases
In a normal year, the crime rate in Lebanon is 16.34 per 1,000 people. The northeast of the city is typically thought to be the safest among Lebanese residents. In Lebanon, the likelihood of becoming a victim of crime varies by neighborhood. In the center areas, it is one in 43, while in the northeast, it is 1 in 85.
Felony charges can have life-altering consequences that reach far beyond the outcome of your case. If convicted of a felony, you may face:
- Difficulty finding a job
- Restrictions on your professional licenses
- Limitations on housing applications
- Denials when applying for a firearm
- Immigration consequences
- Threats to your financial well-being
- Strained relationships with family
Felony convictions can result in decades in prison. For this reason, many people seek out attorneys who focus on courtroom trials, serious litigation, and complex evidence. Major cases often involve hundreds, if not thousands, of pages of discovery, dozens of hours of video surveillance, computer forensics extractions, and forensic laboratory reports. Some defense attorneys lack the resources or support staff necessary to review those cases.
Instead of choosing the cheapest attorney, many defendants choose lawyers based on felony trial experience.
The Financial Reality of Felony Defense
Felony defense costs vary widely based on the specifics of your case. Serious felony charges often require a lawyer to:
- File motions throughout the litigation
- Meet with forensic professionals
- Prepare witnesses for trial
- Investigate the allegations independently
- Research and analyze complex laws
- Defend you at trial
Felony defense can last months, if not years. Longer-term cases like attempted murder, drug trafficking, sexual assault, and white-collar crimes create massive amounts of discovery for the defense to review. At the same time, you could be dealing with lost wages, job security, and paying for your own bond. Individuals and families shouldn’t have to navigate the felony litigation process alone.
Felony Defense Laws and Protecting Your Future
Felony defense laws address important rights that Indiana defendants have regarding search procedures, evidence gathering, confrontation, and due process. However, defending those rights often demands a combative stance and in-depth legal examination. Felony charges can haunt someone’s future long after the conclusion of their case. Common long-term consequences include:
- Background checks for employment
- Impaired professional licensure options
- Barriers to educational opportunities
- Firearm restrictions
- Difficulty with housing applications
- Reputation
Families often find the long-term felony penalties to be every bit as devastating as the potential criminal consequences. For that reason, many people find that the decision to hire a felony defense lawyer is one of the most critical decisions they will make throughout the process.
FAQs
What Are Red Flags for Lawyers?
Some red flags are vague or poor communication, pushy/fast consultations, guarantees of certain results, inexperience in trials, and inability to explain your legal options. Serious felonies usually require a defendant to find an attorney who is very responsive, detail-oriented, and willing to put in the hours necessary to deal with mountains of evidence and litigation.
Late calls and emails or sudden increased fees without reasonable warning could also be red flags when searching for an attorney.
What Should I Not Tell an Attorney?
Clients should always tell the truth to their defense attorney. Defense attorneys need their clients to give them the facts so they can offer sound legal advice. However, discussions about the case are typically limited to attorney-client privilege. Those who are accused of a crime are typically instructed not to discuss anything with friends, family, co-workers, or social media, as it can be used against them.
What Is the Hardest Case to Win in Court?
There is no case that is automatically the hardest to be successful with, as it depends on the evidence, witnesses, legal issues, and facts. Cases with large amounts of forensic evidence, witnesses, taped statements, or overwhelming digital evidence can pose many difficulties. Serious felony cases typically involve a lot of variables and require time to prepare for trial.
Why Should You Never Plead Guilty?
A guilty plea may have consequences that reach far into the future. It could impact your ability to get a job, rent an apartment, own firearms, immigrate to or from other countries, and maintain professional licenses. Each criminal case is different and has different evidence, legal issues, and defenses. These things should be considered before making important decisions.
Hire a Felony Defense Lawyer Today
At The Criminal Defense Team of Baldwin Perry & Wiley, P.C., our legal team specializes in criminal defense. Located throughout Indiana, our firm is home to five of Indiana’s six Board-Certified Criminal Trial Specialists. Put simply, we offer a level of criminal trial experience and qualifications that very few attorneys in the state can match.
No matter if you live in Lebanon, Whitestown, Zionsville, or any other area of Boone County, we can provide you with aggressive legal representation designed to meet the challenges of your felony case. Contact us today for a consultation.
*Andrew Baldwin, Kathy Perry, Kelly Pyle, Maxwell Wiley, and Michael C. Cunningham are Board-Certified* Criminal Trial Specialists, as certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Find out why having a Board-Certified* Criminal Trial Specialist as your defense lawyer is important here.