I never took the time to figure out what percentage of my clients gets arrested over the weekend but I am sure the number is significant. Several years ago, when I opened my own practice an older lawyer gave me some friendly advice. He told me that if possible, never schedule anything in court for Monday mornings. That advice has served me well over the years. Every weekend I get scores of telephone calls from people who got arrested, are in need of immediate legal assistance and getting arraigned on Monday. This past weekend was particularly busy. One of the messages I got from my answering service was “I got arrested over the weekend and I need a criminal attorney, what should I do?”. This article addresses that question.
Don’t Wait Until Monday to Call a Lawyer
Many people make the mistake of waiting until Monday to call around for a lawyer. They think that they won’t be able to contact anyone over the weekend. This is a big mistake. The majority of criminal defense lawyers in Massachusetts are accessible at all times including nights and weekends. Many lawyers post their cell number on their websites. Others have calls forwarded to their cell phones at night and on the weekends. And other law firms have an answering service that answers calls 24/7 and contacts the lawyer immediately upon receiving a message. Aggressive criminal attorneys know just how busy the weekends can be and they make sure they are available to help anyone who got arrested right away.
Give Your Lawyer Time To Prepare For Your Arraignment and Bail Hearing
Calling a lawyer immediately can make the difference between you walking out of the courthouse at your arraignment or being held on bail. Retaining a lawyer right after an arrest, particularly on a weekend gives the lawyer a chance to prepare and convince the prosecutor or judge to consider releasing you and/or setting a low bail or personal recognizance. We recently had a client arrested on a Saturday in the early morning hours accused of violating a restraining order. He called us to go to work for him within a few hours of his arrest. We had a day to get ready for the arraignment. The allegations were extremely serious. However, we were able to show that the “victim” was lying. Our client was in another state at the time of the alleged offense, over five hundred miles away from the victim. Had we not been contacted until after the arraignment the defendant might have been held in jail for several days.
Criminal Defense Attorneys Often Work Weekends
Much of what we do for our clients takes place nights and weekends. We know that people have busy schedules. During the week we are in court every day. Nights and weekends are typically the best time to meet and prepare for court challenges. Don’t be afraid to call us or any criminal defense attorney at any time of the day or night. Get a jump on your defense. Call our office at 617-263-6800. We will get right back to you. Let us defend you.