One of the scariest calls a husband can receive is one from his wife telling him that she has been arrested and needs his help getting out of jail. You may feel helpless to try to assist your beloved wife, especially if you are not familiar with the criminal justice system. However, the steps that you take immediately after her arrest can make a huge difference in her case down the line. In particular, it is vital that your wife is represented by a skilled criminal lawyer in Philadelphia like those at The Law Offices of Lloyd Long as soon as possible after her arrest, as several important proceedings will occur quite quickly. Below, our lawyers explain whether a husband can hire a criminal defense attorney for his wife, and how an attorney like those at our firm can help bring her case to the most positive possible resolution.
Is a Husband Allowed to Hire a Criminal Defense Lawyer for His Wife in Philadelphia?
The answer to this question is yes. Anyone is permitted to pay for a Montgomery County criminal defense lawyer to represent anyone else in their case, including a husband on behalf of a wife. However, it is important to note that just because you are paying for your wife’s legal defense, this does not mean you are entitled to know everything she discusses with her lawyer in private conversations. Attorney-client privilege still applies, barring the attorney from sharing details of the case with you unless your wife chooses to waive the privilege on your behalf.
How Can a Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyer Assist Your Wife with Her Case?
No matter if your wife is charged with something relatively minor like disorderly conduct or with something extremely serious like homicide, it is vital that she have skilled legal representation like that at offered by the attorneys at The Law Offices of Lloyd Long. You should reach out to us as soon as possible, as the quicker we can get to work on your wife’s case, the better chance we have of getting the charges downgraded or dismissed. Furthermore, we can prevent her from speaking to the police without us present and saying something she may come to regret. Below, we explain how or skilled criminal defense lawyers can assist your wife at every stage of her case.
Initial Appearance and Bail Hearing
Sometimes, your wife may be released with a citation rather than arrested. This usually only occurs for minor charges like traffic tickets or underage drinking. If she is cited and released with a court date, contact one of our experienced Philadelphia criminal defense lawyers as soon as possible, so we can reach out to the prosecutor and work to get the entire matter resolved at her first court appearance.
Usually, when the police believe someone has committed a crime, they will be place them under arrest. If your wife is arrested, she will be transported to the local police station for the booking process, where she will be fingerprinted and photographed and her biographical information will be collected. After booking, she will be kept in the station’s holding cell or at the local jail until her preliminary arraignment and bail hearing can be held, usually within 72 hours of booking.
At the bail hearing, the judge will make a decision about whether your wife can be released on her own recognizance, meaning without bail, whether she can be released with bail, or whether she must remain in jail until the case is resolved. Our experienced Philadelphia bail hearing attorneys at The Law Offices of Lloyd Long can make the most persuasive arguments to get you released on little to no bail, based on such factors and the severity of your wife’s offense, her ties to the community, and her criminal record or lack thereof. At your initial appearance, the judge will read her charges and, in misdemeanor cases, she will be asked to enter a plea. In felony cases, that will come later at a formal arraignment. In either case, her lawyer is likely to advise your wife to enter an initial not guilty plea while they assess the strength of the case and try to work out a potential deal with the prosecutor.
Plea Bargaining and Trial
After we have gotten your wife out of jail, our attorneys will focus their attention on trying to negotiate a deal with the prosecutor to get her charges downgraded or dismissed. If she is a first-time offender, she may be eligible for the accelerated rehabilitative disposition (ARD) program, where, if she completes the pre-trial diversion successfully, her charges will be dropped and she will not have a criminal record. Our lawyers can also work out a potential deal for her charges to be downgraded, such as from aggravated assault to simple assault, in exchange for your wife entering a guilty plea and saving the state the time and cost of trial. Another possibility is a deal where the prosecutor agrees to recommend a lenient sentence to the judge, which the judge almost always follows. If your wife does not wish to take a deal or is not satisfied with any of the deals offered, our battle-tested trial attorneys at The Law Offices of Lloyd Long are ready to use all our knowledge and experience to fight for a not guilty verdict at her trial.
If Your Wife Has Been Arrested, Contact Our Seasoned Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyers Today
The best thing a husband can do for his wife who has been cited or arrested is to hire a veteran Philadelphia criminal defense attorney like those at The Law Offices of Lloyd Long as soon after her arrest as possible. Whether your wife was arrested for criminal charges or being an accomplice, our Philadelphia accomplice defense lawyers have years of experienced successfully defending our clients against all sorts of charges in the city of Philadelphia. We will leave no stone unturned fighting to get bring your wife’s case to the best possible resolution. For a free consultation, call our office today at (215) 302-0171.