One of the most important tenants of our legal system is that you have the presumption of innocence, more commonly said in this way: “you are innocent until proven guilty.”

So even if you haven’t done anything wrong, why would you need to call a “criminal defense lawyer”? You might ask yourself if associating yourself with someone who practices “criminal law” makes you seem more guilty? Don’t you just need “defense” and not “criminal defense”? After all, why label yourself a criminal if there hasn’t been a trial yet!

Let’s start here, though it may seem simplistic: crime is the reason that law exists. If crime didn’t exist, if people never did anything wrong, there would be no need for law.

If you’re being charge with a crime, it’s because there are laws against that crime due to what people have done in the past. So even if you are innocent of having committed the crime, you need someone who has dealt with the laws associated with those crimes. We study the law so that we know how to defend people who might not have broken it at all. Criminal defense law firms like the law offices of Robert J. DeGroot practice criminal law.

In other words, it’s not “defending criminals.” It’s “defending someone who has been accused of criminal activity.” Knowing criminal law helps us get you through the system.

Calling a criminal defense attorney certainly doesn’t mean you’re admitting to anything. It’s imperative that you contact us as soon as you’re accused of any wrongdoing.