In this country, if you are arrested as a suspect in a crime, you need the help of a defense/criminal defense attorney. Even if you are guilty of the crime of which you are accused, a good defense attorney can negotiate a reduced sentence in exchange for an admission of guilt. If you are not guilty, you have little or no chance of proving this on your own. Therefore, if you are arrested in the San Diego area, you will want to choose a San Diego defense attorney.
Not all San Diego lawyers are created equal. Some specialize in corporate law, others in tax law, and still others in criminal law. Even among the latter, some attorneys focus on ways to prosecute a suspect while others focus on ways to get a suspect acquitted through introducing proof that a person could not have committed the crime, introducing enough possibility of innocence to create a “reasonable doubt”, or getting a person off because of a technicality.
You may find that many attorneys specialize in a particular area of expertise. For instance, one attorney may specialize in executive clients accused of a crime such as embezzlement, while another lawyer may specialize in robbery, man-slaughter/murder, etc. When searching for a San Diego criminal defense attorney, you will want to make sure that you hire a person who is experienced in whichever area of the law your case falls into. The more specific you are when you choose your attorney the better your chances are for your case. You can easily do an Internet search on Google or a similar site and typing in the exact sort of lawyer you want.
While you do have the option to use a lawyer that is appointed by the court, you might be better off selecting your own lawyer, as it is important to feel comfortable with your lawyer and trust his/her abilities.