Criminal Defense FAQs

You have the right to legal counsel. If you cannot afford an attorney, the court will appoint one to represent you.

You have the right to remain silent, and to not incriminate yourself. Your silence cannot be used against you, but anything you say can and will be.

You have the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury. To reach a guilty verdict, the members of the jury must be unanimous in their decision.

At trial, the government prosecutor has the burden of proving each element of the alleged offense(s) beyond a reasonable doubt. You have the right to confront and cross-examine witnesses against you. You have the right to compel witnesses to testify on your behalf.

You have the right to an appeal of final judgments of the trial court.

In many instances, if your rights are not affirmatively asserted, they are waived. An experienced and knowledgeable attorney will assist you in asserting and protecting these rights to the fullest extent. Contact us today to learn more about your rights and how you can use this to your advantage in the court of law.

Criminal charges can affect a person in a myriad of ways, and the consequences are potentially great. Trouble with the criminal law can mean extensive fines, required counseling, and losses of driver’s license, employment, housing, marriage, child custody, right to serve on a jury, right to vote, right to gun ownership, … and perhaps the most precious of all, loss of liberty. In the case of an undocumented person or permanent legal resident, a criminal conviction may mean deportation or denial of an application for naturalized citizenship.

When you have been charged with a crime, you need a skilled and dedicated defense attorney who can get for you the best possible resolution of your case, and absolutely minimize the potential damage that trouble with the criminal law could inflict upon you or your loved one.

Contact us today for a free case evaluation. Salt Lake City defense attorney Darren M. Levitt makes every effort to analyze the unique details about your case and help you understand the best defense options available to you. With what you stand to potentially lose, don’t gamble with your future. Call Levitt Legal today.

When faced with an investigation or charges by law enforcement, a skilled criminal defense attorney is often your greatest ally. For some minor traffic and misdemeanor charges, however, it may not be cost effective to pay for an attorney’s representation. For instance, it is not likely worth paying an attorney to fight a $90 speeding or other traffic ticket. That said, in a given situation even minor infractions and misdemeanors can sometimes have disastrous consequences.

For instance, a person who has a commercial driver’s license (CDL) may face greater the loss of that license (and ostensibly, their livelihood) for minor traffic infractions. Likewise, a person whose immigration status may be affected by minor misdemeanor charges may have more to lose than the average citizen due to the possibilities of deportation or denial of their application for naturalized citizenship.

For most all other criminal charges and investigations, it is wise to have the counsel of an experienced and skilled defense attorney on your side. The first step to preparing a good defense is gathering all of the facts. By way of an attorney’s subpoena power, attorneys can access records that other non-attorneys cannot.

Under the law and constitution, a criminal defendant is entitled to see all of the information gathered against them by law enforcement. We continually gather that information and critically analyze it with trained and experienced eyes and minds to uncover any and all possible defenses for our clients. We counsel our clients on the best, strongest, and smartest way forward, so that each case can come to the best possible resolution.

Even if you have committed the crime charges and are caught dead to rights, please do not simply plead guilty or no contest without consulting an attorney. There are ways that an attorney can protect and inform you so that you are not out in the cold and cowing to every whim of the prosecutor. Nearly every day I speak with people who have plead guilty and are now

Hiring an attorney as early on in the process as is possible is always our recommendation. Even if your case is in the investigative phases (no charges filed), there is much that an attorney can do to protect your interests and exercise your rights in the appropriate manner and possible obtain resolution of the matter before charges are even filed.

Contact Levitt Legal today at (801) 455-1743 for a free, comprehensive evaluation of your unique case. During your consultation, I will help you understand the Utah justice system, gather important details, and begin laying the foundation for your defense. Protect your interests and your future.

The costs of hiring an experienced, dedicated and skillful criminal defense attorney likely depends upon a number of factors:

• The severity of the charge.
• The type of charge
• The number of charges and/or cases
• The complexity of the case
• The potential exposure to mandatory consequences
• The office’s caseload

For simple traffic and misdemeanor cases, average fees range from $750 to $2000 (and more) to hire a criminal defense attorney. For more serious 1st or 2nd-degree felonies or cases of a more complex nature, the services of a skilled criminal defense attorney fees range between $5,000 and $25,000.

Know What Legal Services Your Fees Cover

Before hiring an attorney be perfectly clear on what exactly the fees cover. For instance, in DUI cases there is often a simultaneous administrative proceeding with the Driver’s License Department, which may or may not be covered in the fee.

Similarly, some quoted fees may or may not include the service of going through a trial. Since the vast majority of cases do not go to trial (90+%), some attorneys will include the service of trial in their fee with the knowledge and expectation that trial will never occur.
The best way to be sure about what legal services you will be provided in exchange for your fee is to have a written legal services agreement, in which the fees and the legal services to be provided are clearly outlined.

Levitt Legal, PLLC values honesty and transparency. We understand the financial concerns that our clients face and take this into consideration when determining fees. Contact our Salt Lake City office today if you would like to learn more about our servicing and fees.