Being accused of a crime can turn your life upside down. Being convicted can take away the things that matter most — your career, your family and your freedom. To protect them, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney. Hiring a defense lawyer evens the playing field between you and the government, ensuring that someone who has your interests in mind is involved in every step of the proceedings. Even if you choose to plead guilty, your attorney can make sure you get the fairest, most lenient sentence possible. If you would rather fight your charges, a defense lawyer will comb through the evidence against you to find weaknesses and mistakes that undermine the prosecutions case.