Criminal Defense Lawyers and County Courts
Criminal charges can be filed in a county court, state court
or federal court. The type of crime and
place where the crime was allegedly commissioned will determine which court
hears your case. As a rule, county court
cases are prosecuted by that county’s elected State’s Attorney or the assistant
State’s Attorney.
An Omaha criminal defense lawyer can help you construct the
best defense to the charges pending against you. Omaha criminal defense lawyers are familiar
with the county court system, and will know the state’s attorney (or assistant
state’s attorney) and judges trying your case.
He or she will be able to advise you on the best course of action and
help you avoid incurring the maximum penalty from the judge. In some cases, an Omaha criminal defense
lawyer may be able to persuade the judge to dismiss the charges altogether (if
grounds to do so exist) or negotiate for a reduced charge from the state’s
attorney office.
Omaha Criminal Defense Lawyer Fees and Rates Explained
Every criminal defense lawyer in Omaha charges different
rates; therefore, the cost to hire a criminal defense attorney in Omaha can
vary significantly from lawyer to lawyer.
Many criminal defense lawyers choose to bill clients at an hourly
rate. Others will charge a flat fee to
try a particular kind of case (assault, driving under the influence,
etc.). Sometimes flat fees hide enormous
hourly rates. Other times the attorney
will charge a reasonable hourly rate but bill more hours than expected. Almost
all attorneys will charge a minimum retainer, which is applied to the
attorney’s total cost, in order to reserve the criminal defense lawyer for your
case.
If you are considering hiring an Omaha criminal defense
lawyer to try your case, it’s important to discuss the attorney’s expected cost
during the free consultation to ensure there are no surprises down the
road. No matter what the criminal
defense lawyer’s cost, however, remember that the expense is likely to be far
less than the cost of receiving the maximum sentence in court.