CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND ARREST

Criminal charges can send you to jail and ruin your life as you know it now. If you have been arrested, or are suspected of a crime, it is important to know your rights! You need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Maureen Furlong Baldwin has been a criminal defense attorney in San Jose since 1981, for over 26 years. I can help you if you are charged with a crime or have been contacted by police. The 5th and 6th Amendments to the United States Constitution guarantees everyone the right to an attorney in criminal cases and interrogations by police. You are also guaranteed the right to remain silent. These rights are there for a reason and should not be taken lightly!

Too many people think they can "take care of things" themselves. Police officers are well-trained in investigation techniques, and often tell a suspect they “just want to give you a chance to tell your side of the story”. They will often appear quite understanding and sympathetic in trying to get you to talk to them. Sometimes, if you have already been arrested, the officer will tell you this is your ONLY chance to tell your side of the story, and if you are asking for an attorney, you simply cannot talk to them AT ALL, unless your attorney is there with you when you are arrested. This is almost never the case.

If you are suspected of a crime, by the time officers contact you for "your side", and certainly by the time you are arrested, officers have already spoken with your accusers, done investigation, and formed opinions you are not likely to change by making a statement, however understanding and open-minded they seem to be. If you are arrested, or even contacted by police about alleged criminal activity, the criminal justice system has already started working on you.

You need to seek out an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to protect your rights. If you are in jail, you will likely have to remain there until your arraignment, whether you talk to police or not. It is a myth that you can talk your way out of jail once you have already been arrested. If you contact the law Offices of Maureen Furlong Baldwin, you will be given tough, aggressive representation at both the investigative phase, if you have not yet been arrested, or in court, if you have already been arrested by police.