The most important thing you can do if you are arrested for murder is to be quiet. Invoke your Sixth Amendment right to have an attorney present before you say anything. You must do this clearly and concisely. Don’t leave any doubt that you want your attorney there. Saying something like “I want my attorney here before making any statement or answering any questions” makes clear your intent to remain silent until your attorney is present. Even if you are just being questioned about a murder, you should state that you want your attorney present. Oftentimes, questioning sessions are actually meant to try to gather additional evidence if the detective or officer actually doesn’t have enough information to charge you with a crime. You can prevent this from happening by simply demanding that your attorney is present for questioning sessions. You need to hire an attorney as soon as possible. Not only can an attorney help you to ensure that your rights are respected, the attorney can also start working on your case quickly. If your case will be presented to a grand jury, your attorney can be present for the session.

You need to have a defense strategy that answers the issues that the prosecution is raising. Remember that if your case is presented to a trial jury, you have to be convicted beyond a reasonable doubt. By introducing doubt into a jury member’s mind, you might be able to beat the charge. The defense strategy that you use must be carefully planned. You can’t think that a cookie-cutter defense will work. Instead, you need an experienced attorney who is going to work hard on your case. This attorney can help you learn about the options you have for your case. This might include considering plea deals or finding ways to poke holes in the prosecution’s case. An experienced attorney also knows when to introduce certain points of the defense strategy as timing can mean everything in these cases. An interesting point here is that if you are considering a plea deal to resolve your case, you must have an attorney. In almost every case, prosecutors won’t work on a plea agreement in a case in which the defendant is self-representing.

It is sometimes possible to have a bail ordered in a murder case. Oftentimes, the bail amount is going to be high. You might also have specific bail conditions attached to the order. This could include having to surrender a passport so you must remain in the country. You might have to wear an ankle monitor that can monitor your location. You may be placed under house arrest or have a curfew. You can have an attorney present at a bail hearing. Your attorney can fight for you to get a bail that isn’t exorbitant and that has conditions you can live with. Ultimately, the judge will make the call about what bail amount and terms are appropriate for a specific case.