Justia Lawyer Rating
10 Best, Attorney Client Satisfaction Badge from the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys
Top 100 Trial Lawyers Badge from The National Trial Lawyers
Top 100 Badge from America's Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys
NADC
Avoo Rating, 10.0 Scott Grabel
Top 10, Attorney and Practice Magazine's, Criminal Defense Law Firm

I am under a police investigation but have not been charged yet. Do I need a lawyer?

Yes, if you’re under investigation, you need a lawyer even if you haven’t been charged with anything yet. Why? To avoid being charged at all.

First, let’s get one thing straight—for police, “under investigation” usually means “building a case.” Police often have a preconceived notion of what happened in a case, and they’re looking for evidence corroborating that notion. In other words, the “investigation” is not neutral and evenhanded. If police come across evidence that doesn’t help them build their case, they’ll ignore it.

So what can a criminal lawyer do for you? A few things. First, by hiring a lawyer, you’re building a wall between you and the police. If the police want to talk to you, they need to go through your lawyer first. This is crucial because police prey on suspects when they’re at their weakest, cajoling them into giving incriminating statements that help police build their case. With a lawyer by your side, though, the ball is in your court—you decide what information you want to give police, what information you want to hold back, and whether you want to talk to police at all. As any experienced attorney will tell you, even if you’re innocent of any wrongdoing, talking to police is often ill advised. Relatedly, a lawyer can advise you whether to take a polygraph examination, an important decision in many cases.

Second, a lawyer can communicate behind the scenes with the prosecutor. It’s the prosecutor who ultimately decides whether you get charged, not the police. Normally, the prosecutor makes this decision based on the police report, the final product of the one-sided “investigation.” But when the prosecutor knows that a suspect has a lawyer, it can prompt the prosecutor to keep the police honest in their investigation. And a lawyer can provide the prosecutor with evidence that the police have ignored or overlooked, which can influence the prosecutor’s charging decision.

Which leads to another reason to hire a lawyer—to do the investigation the police won’t. With help from a private investigator, a lawyer can run down leads the police refuse to. A lawyer may even be able to uncover evidence proving your innocence. But you need to act fast before the prosecutor makes a charging decision. By the time a suspect is already charged, certain avenues of investigation are forever closed.

So if you’re under investigation, hire a lawyer as soon as possible. If you act quickly, a lawyer can ensure that you never get charged in the first place.

Client Reviews

★★★★★
If you are reading these reviews you are about to make a decision that will have a large impact on the rest of your life. I choose Grabel and Associates to represent me in my case and I could not have been more satisfied with the level of professionalism and dedication to their clients. I had the opportunity to meet and work with multiple lawyers in the practice all of which showcased a vast knowledge and understanding of the inner workings of the legal system. When you choose Scott Grabel to represent you will open yourself up to all of his resources. Depending on your case Grabel knows experts in all fields. I worked with polygraph examiners, investigators, and forensics experts. Grabel and Associates will defend without prejudice of innocence or guilt. Scott Grabel was able to lead me through every step of the process with great communication the whole way. I would recommend Scott Grabel and Associates to my friends, family and anyone who is in need of representation. B. A.
★★★★★
Best attorney in state of Michigan. Caring and a true friend. Scott was with us every step of the way. He fought for a great injustice for our son and was able to provide an outcome that gave his life back. L. A.
★★★★★
Scott and his firm did an awesome job representing a family member of mine, I would highly recommend him and his firm! They were extremely reliable, trustworthy and very informative and did a great job with the case. I couldn't be happier with the results that we received, I can't speak highly enough about the great job he did. If you are thinking about using his firm, I would highly recommend, I would definitely use his firm again if needed, he is an a great attorney with a great firm, you won't be disappointed! M. F.