Sometimes bad things happen to good people. If you’ve been charged with a crime or injured in some type of accident, you need a lawyer who can guide you through this tough time in your life. Finding a good Tampa Bay criminal defense or personal injury lawyer to represent you isn’t that hard. What’s hard is finding a “great lawyer” to handle your case. Here are a couple of things to think about when you are looking for legal representation:
Hire a Lawyer Who Knows the Judge
You may have heard the phrase, “A good lawyer knows the law but a great lawyer knows the judge.” It’s a funny, cynical jab at the legal profession, implying that judges make different rulings based on whoever is standing before him or her making the same argument. However, this phrase should not be considered in a negative light because a “great lawyer” is one who:
- Knows the judge’s background
- Knows the judge’s temperament
- Knows the judge’s previous rulings
A lawyer who knows the judge in these ways can confidently anticipate how the judge in your case will rule on critical issues, such as a motion to keep certain evidence out of the case. With a “great lawyer” helping you rather than just a good one, you become uniquely qualified to decide whether you should cut a plea deal in your criminal case, take the defendant’s settlement offer in your personal injury case, try your case before the judge (bench trial) or take your case to a jury.
Hire a Lawyer Who Has Experience
A board-certified trial lawyer and former prosecutor, Ben Stechschulte has achieved success in numerous criminal defense cases in front of judges and juries in the Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas County area. Because Ben knows the local judges, he participated in a survey conducted by the Association of Lawyers Promoting Judicial Excellence to evaluate their demeanor, professionalism and fairness. Ben believes that the public has right to know how each judge is viewed by lawyers who know their work.
Our Experience
Ben’s law partner, Alyson Bulnes, has worked at some of the best law firms in the Tampa Bay area where she gained in-depth trial experience. She has tried and won many automobile accident and other types of personal injury cases.
Trial experience matters when choosing a criminal defense or personal injury lawyer or law firm. With more than 15 years of combined trial experience before judges throughout the Tampa Bay area, our attorneys can help you make educated decisions and reduce your anxiety about your criminal or personal injury case.
