It is a very stressful experience to be interviewed by Police whether it’s in respect of a traffic matter, drink driving offence, or as a suspect of a crime.
There is a common misconception that if you have been charged with a traffic offence there is no way that you can defend the matter, and many people think that when they have been told by the Police that they have committed an offence, simply believe them. It may be that the Police have charged you with the wrong offence or charged you with a more serious offence that the evidence does not support.
Police may also want to interview you (including in more serious traffic matters) to obtain information that they may later try to use in Court against you.
For these reasons it is very important that you know exactly where you stand and have someone with you who can explain your options to you in plain English and who are used to dealing with the Police and the Court system.
This level of expertise comes with experience gained over many years, not just one or two.
Often there is a lot at stake,it could be your Licence, your job, or your liberty. An experienced Solicitor can properly inform you as to when to negotiate with Police to have them either withdraw, reduce, or change the charge against you, when to defend those charges, or when it is better to plead guilty. Knowing these things can save you from making matters worse by running defences or raising arguments that have no hope of success.
We believe the benefits of having a good lawyer assisting you in these matters far outweighs the financial cost, and a good lawyer will tell you if it does not. By retaining a lawyer it shows the Court that you are taking your matter seriously which is always influential when deciding penalties.
A good lawyer will make your matter stand out amongst the crowd and not just read to the magistrate the notes they have made as inexperienced lawyers often do. Knowing what to say, proper preparation and attention to detail is critical to achieving the best outcome that is reasonably possible for you in the circumstances.
By limiting the things that are said on your behalf to those that the Court wants and needs to hear, the Magistrate does not become frustrated and angry about the time that is being wasted in what is usually a very busy day, again with the benefit to you in the ultimate outcome.
Links to information to some of the more common types of matters that bring people before the Courts are set out below: