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Criminal Law FAQs

By Bill Powers, NBTA Board-Certified Criminal Law Specialist and Criminal Defense Lawyer

If you or a loved one is facing allegations of Carolina criminal charges, don’t go it alone. It doesn’t matter if it’s a felony vs misdemeanor. Given the potential long-term consequences of any criminal case, it makes sense to seek legal representation by an experienced defense lawyer.

“Criminal charges can turn your life topsy-turvy. We’re here for you and will stand shoulder to shoulder with you in court, serving as your confidant, your zealous advocate, and your listening ear.” Bill Powers

should I talk with the police

That’s what defense lawyers do. We help people.

Indeed, that’s why the criminal defense lawyers at our Charlotte law office went to law school. It’s our passion and purpose in life.

Being a bit “freaked out” about an arrest, jail, and that whole process - that’s entirely normal. No one plans to get arrested and then charged with criminal charges.

Now is the time to call. Our defense attorneys are standing by to help you and answer the many questions you have.

What Are the Top 3 Things to Do if Arrested?

court Good decisions are made if you have good information. That requires advanced preparation, hard work, and experience in handling criminal charges.

And, probably more than anything, the first good decision begins with getting to work, immediately preparing a defense and legal strategy to address criminal charges with intentionality and purpose.

“It is often imperative to begin work on a file without delay. Important evidence should be gathered. There may be a need to gather exculpatory evidence (positive or helpful evidence), take pictures, visit the scene, and talk to witnesses.” Bill Powers, Criminal Defense Lawyer

Our law firm and defense lawyers know from experience that preparation is one of many keys to success for the efficient, successful disposition of criminal charges involving assault, assault and battery, larceny, DWI charges, and DUI charges.

Only after our defense attorneys review all the information available, carefully examine the discovery, analyze witness statements, forensic evidence, and police reports, can we provide a legal opinion about what we think will happen.


What Does Indictment Mean in North Carolina?

“Sound legal advice is predicated on trial skills and evidence gathering as soon as possible after an arrest. In my humble opinion, success at trial requires front-end hard work. Defense lawyers want to get to work immediately, before memories fade, witnesses scatter, and evidence helpful to the client disappears. That’s true for felony or criminal charges. It’s the nature of being a criminal defense attorney.” Bill Powers


How Do Criminal Defense Lawyers Help? What Do Defense Attorneys Do?

Criminal defense lawyers provide information. We answer questions. We review evidence. We give legal opinions about what we think is in the best-interests of your clients. We give legal advice. All of that is part of legal representation - and all of that is entirely confidential.


Related: How Are Child Abuse Cases Prosecuted?

criminal laws Once that aspect of our legal representation is explained, we begin work on your defense. That normally requires meeting with you, face-to-face if possible, and explaining the criminal charges and what to expect in court. It may require an attorney jail visit.

Criminal defense clients tend to have a lot of questions, including:

  • Am I going to jail?
  • Is my case a felony or misdemeanor?
  • How much are court costs and fines?
  • How much does it cost to hire a lawyer?
  • What do defense lawyers do?
  • Can I handle my case in court?
  • What happens if I go to court by myself?
  • Do criminal defense lawyers accept payments?
  • Can I get my charges dismissed?
  • Where do I find a criminal defence lawyer near me?
  • What’s the difference between civil and criminal cases?
  • What is the difference between civil and criminal law?
  • What are the Rules of Evidence and Criminal Procedure?
  • What is the criminal negligence definition?
  • What is criminal possession of a controlled substance?
  • How is criminal evidence collected?
  • How does criminal sentencing work?

Our defense law firm is experienced in handling criminal charges. We are used to answering these and many, many other legal questions.

If you have been arrested in Charlotte NC or face a DWI in Union County, North Carolina, we’re here to help.

We have three convenient office locations in the Charlotte-Metro and up-state South Carolina region:

Charlotte NC Main Office
2412 Arty Ave
Charlotte, NC 28208
Phone: 704-342-4357


What Does “Free Legal Advice” and “Confidential Consultation” Mean?

sentence law Criminal defense lawyers commonly meet with people seeking legal representation free of charge. . .at least as part of an initial consultation.

At Powers Law Firm PA we charge flat legal fees and generally do not charge “hourly legal fees” for criminal defense legal representation **

As part of the initial consultation, we will answer and ask a LOT of questions, explain the courts and the legal process, and provide some preliminary “free advice” about what we think you should do next.

If you choose to retain the firm, great. If we think you’d be better served speaking with another lawyer or defense lawyer firm, we’ll tell you that too.

It’s only after you decide to retain our legal services that we send you a bill for representation in court, filing motions, and making a “formal appearance” in court.


** The Powers Law Firm PA law firm also helps people with Family Law cases and other forms of legal representation involving civil litigation. For issues involving separation, divorce, child support, alimony, and child custody, we charge both a consultation fee and hourly legal fees. For other civil matters where our lawyers may serve as Plaintiff’s Attorneys we charge a contingency fee.

In auto accident cases, claims for negligence or gross negligence, legal liability, motorcycle accidents, trucking accidents, and catastrophic loss, we also provide a free consultation and normally charge a contingency fee. We NEVER charge contingency fees for DWI or DUI charges, felony charges, allegations of misdemeanor charges, or any traffic matters.

** Law partner Bill Powers is licensed only in the state of North Carolina as an attorney and therefore limits his practice to matters solely in North Carolina.

Client Reviews
★★★★★
I am so fortunate to have had Bill Powers on my case. Upon our first meeting, Bill insisted that through the emotions of anger, sadness, confusion, and betrayal that I remain resilient. He was available to answer questions with researched, logical, truthful answers throughout our two year stretch together... J.R.
★★★★★
Bill Powers and his firm were a true blessing. If anyone is contacting an attorney, it's more than likely not from a positive life experience. If there was a rating for "bedside manner" for lawyers he'd get a 10/10 for that as well. The entire staff were helpful... K.C.
★★★★★
Bill Powers’ staff has handled several traffic citations for me over the years, and they exceeded my expectations each and every time. Would highly recommend anyone faced with a traffic citation or court case contact his office and they will handle it from there. M.C.
★★★★★
Bill and his staff are flat out great. I (unfortunately) was a repeat customer after a string of tickets. These guys not only took care of the initial ticket for me, but went the extra mile and reduced my problems from 3 to just 1 (very minor one) on the same day I called back! I would recommend them to anyone. A.R.