After you get arrested, you are probably asking yourself a big questions, “How long is this going to take?”
And the answer most people give you is: TIME.
The reason why people tell you it’s going to take “time” is because everyone’s case is different.
When you hire Crescent City Law as your criminal defense team, we evaluate many factors of your case before letting you know an estimate of the length of time. In this blog, we’ll go over those factors and how we can help you build the strongest defense.
What could make my New Orleans criminal case take longer?
Some of the reasons cases take different lengths of time include:
- The seriousness of the offense.
- The place where you got arrested.
- The amount of evidence the attorneys need to review in order to make sure you get a fair trial.
- The amount of pressure you put on the attorneys who are preparing your case for trial.
- Your willingness to accept a guilty plea.
- You eligibility to participate in pre-trial diversion program.
- Whether your case is one that MUST go to trial.
As your lawyer, I’ll evaluate all of these factors before answering, “How long is this gonna take?”
Do all criminal cases need to go to trial in New Orleans?
No, not every case needs to go to trial.
Most of the clients we work with are eligible for pre-trial diversion because this is their first offense. Most prosecutors want to help people learn from a mistake and are willing to allow someone to participate in diversion so it never happens again.
But some offenses simply aren’t eligible for diversion.
You’re a good person and you need someone advocating for you from the moment you get arrested. That’s why we usually send a mitigation letter to the prosecutor while they’re reviewing your case. In many cases, an arrest for a serious offense can be reduced before charges are filed against you. A reduced charge is more likely eligible for a faster resolution than a more serious one.
However, some people don’t fit this category either. If there is a victim in the case, if this is not your first arrest, or if you’re a multiple offender who is facing a long jail sentence if convicted, a reduced charge may not apply to you.
So, what should you do to get this over as fast as possible? You should schedule a free appointment the moment you get out on bail.
Not sure how that process works? We can help with that, too.
Can someone else pay my bail in New Orleans
In most cases, bail is MORE than you can afford, so you’ll have to contact a bonding company to put up the money for you.
A bondsman is like an insurance agent. They buy bonds from insurance companies and sell them to you for a portion of the total. In exchange for paying that portion, the bonding company will insure you for the remainder of the bond. If you make all of your court appearances, the bond will never be paid to the court. But, if you go on the run, the bond company guarantees they’ll pay the total amount to the court.
- To get started, you’ll need to contact a bonding company.
- Then, you’ll need to pay for a bond that usually has non-refundable fees.
- After the deposit is paid, the bonding company will contact their insurance to purchase a Power of Attorney.
- Then, your bonding company will deliver the Power of Attorney to the court (or your local jail) to ‘pay’ to bail you out.
Once you’ve been bailed out, that’s your chance to hire a dedicated defense attorney.
You or your lawyer must make all of your court appearances, and you must follow any special conditions of your bond. In some cases, your bond might set a curfew, prohibit you from contacting the victim, or require you to attend classes. Your failure to abide by these special conditions will result in the revocation of your bond.
Contact Crescent City Law today
Once you hire Crescent City Law, we’ll help you avoid having to wait years before your case is resolved. And we want to help you get this case closed as fast as possible. You need to schedule an appointment so we can start helping you right away. Click here to make an appointment.
