If you are facing serious legal charges, do you truly have a leg to stand on?
For countless people dealing with the notion of possibly going to jail, paying a hefty fine, even seeing their professional and personal lives be altered forever, a serious criminal charge can weigh on their minds for a long time to come.
That being the case, what can you do in order to clear your name before all is said and done? Most notably, you have to keep an eye on the bigger picture.
When requiring a Houston sexual assault lawyer or a legal pro with another focus, it is important that you don’t settle for average representation.
Remember, you are not only trying to clear your name, but also keep your future plans together, plans that can be damaged if you have a serious criminal conviction hanging over your head.
Where and Why You Need to Fix Your Image
When charged with a serious crime, you do not have lots of time to sit back and plot your next move.
Along with hiring the best legal pro in your area to defend you, the need to rework your image begins immediately.
For instance, are you being taken to task on social media for your alleged crime? If so, the damage can mount rather quickly, so tend to it as fast as possible.
As an example, are you in the process of job hunting, hoping to land that dream job?
If the answer is yes, a serious criminal charge could thwart you in such attempts, so get to repairing your image.
Among areas to be on the lookout for:
- Social media – Most notably, word can spread like wildfire on social networking sites, leaving you to have to defend yourself on a daily basis. Be sure to check the top sites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram etc.) to see if your name and/or image is trending, trending that is in a negative manner.
- Former employers – In the event you were just let go by an employer because of the criminal allegations you are facing, will that employer take things to the next level, damaging your hopes of getting a job? That next level could be speaking negatively about you. Although former employers are only supposed to state someone worked for them when contacted, that is not always what happens.
- Friends and family – Even though you would expect those closest to you to be your biggest supporters, many people know that to not always be the case. As such, even one family member or friend talking negatively about you could make its way around rather quickly. Keep your ears and eyes open for the actions of those around you, seeing if they are indeed damaging your reputation.
Tout Your Clean Past
Finally, facing serious criminal charges can prove unnerving for anyone.
When in such a situation, lean on what is hopefully a clean criminal past to state your case as you look to avoid heavy negative fallout.
For instance, if you have avoided notable run-ins with law enforcement (don’t sweat a traffic or parking ticket etc.), make sure to tout that. The same holds true if you have a solid working history, along with involvement in the community etc.
By doing anything and everything you can to highlight the clean lifestyle you’ve had up to now, you will more times than not fare better both in and out of the courtroom.
In trying to clear your name, are you ready to go on a major public branding campaign?
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