Can a Grandparent Hire a Criminal Defense Lawyer for their Grandchild in Baltimore?

People who are arrested and sitting in a jail cell find it difficult to hire a lawyer. You won’t be able to get on the Internet and do research. You may only be allowed one phone call. Parents and grandparents are often enlisted to help. Grandparents can hire a criminal defense lawyer for their grandchild in Baltimore. Maryland law typically allows people to find a defense lawyer for someone else. Typically, spouses or parents hire criminal defense lawyers for family members who get into trouble with the law.

Baltimore criminal defense lawyer Randolph Rice has helped defendants and their families to fight charges for over a decade. In this article, he considers whether a grandparent can hire a criminal defense lawyer for their grandchild in Baltimore.

When May a Grandparent Hire a Criminal Defense Lawyer for their Grandchild in Baltimore?

Maryland law allows third parties to hire criminal defense counsel. However, it’s important to meet certain conditions. You should always have the permission of the accused.

Although parents and spouses are more likely to contact a Maryland criminal defense lawyer than grandparents, it’s not an uncommon scenario for older relatives to help.

Baltimore has many colleges included Morgan State University, Loyola University, and Notre Dame of Maryland University. Students sometimes get into trouble when they are away from home for the first time. They may start taking alcohol and drugs and end up arrested. Students often lack the financial means to pay for a lawyer. Parents and grandparents typically know a lot more about the legal process than students. They may help you find an attorney, pay for the lawyer, and pay to bail you out of jail.

If your grandchild is locked up in jail, finding a lawyer can be problematic. Often they will use their ‘one call’ to phone their parent or a grandparent and ask for help. Always make sure the person who calls you is your grandchild and not a scammer who preys on elderly people.

It makes sense for a grandparent to help find a lawyer. He or she has more time and resources to find legal representation. However, it’s always important to act fast when a family member is in jail. Although you should compare lawyers, it doesn’t make sense to procrastinate when your grandchild is locked up in a Baltimore cell.

If you call Rice, Murtha & Psoras, we can meet with your grandchild. Defendants are often held at Baltimore Central Booking & Intake Center after their arrest but they may be held at a cell somewhere else.

How Can a Baltimore Criminal Defense Lawyer Help Your Grandchild?

When you hire a lawyer for your grandchild, we can.

1. Meet with your grandchild to ensure they will accept our firm’s representation;
2. Discuss their case and their options for jail release;
3. Advise how to be released on bond or how to get bail reduced by representing them at a bail hearing;
4. Discuss payment and draw up hiring documents.

Although lawyers can perform an invaluable function in helping your grandchild secure release from jail, commissioners release many defendants on their own recognizance. This means they don’t have to find money to get out of jail although they must attend scheduled court hearings. We can meet your grandchild at their home or a college setting.

What Happens If Your Grandchild is a Juvenile?

Juveniles under the age of 18 are often arrested for misdemeanor crimes in Maryland. Fights at schools can result in assault charges and police arrest many young people on public order, alcohol, and drug charges.

The authorities often initially arrest the child and book them as an adult. Then the court decides if the child’s case should be transferred to juvenile court. Juveniles who police charge with serious offenses may remain in the adult system.

Under Maryland law, children arrested as adults are entitled to a transfer hearing to establish where the case will end up. The court will set a transfer hearing and hear the reasons why a child should or should not stay in adult court. Juvenile justice can be complicated and a child is guaranteed legal representation in the juvenile courts. If your grandchild is arrested as a minor, talk to our Baltimore juvenile crimes lawyer as soon as possible to ensure he or she is protected.

Why Grandparents Should be Aware of Attorney-Client Privilege

Family members who hire or pay for criminal defense lawyers are not guaranteed involvement in the legal process. Attorney-client privilege means a lawyer cannot divulge information about his or her client or their legal strategy without the permission of the client. Grandparents who hire a criminal defense lawyer for their grandchild in Baltimore should be aware they will not be privy to meetings between the accused and his or her lawyer.

Talk to a Baltimore Criminal Defense Attorney at Rice, Murtha & Psoras

Our Baltimore criminal defense lawyer is well aware of how the city’s criminal justice system can punish you for relatively minor offenses. Your life may be derailed at an early age and you can lose out on a promising career. When a family member is locked up in Baltimore, it’s important to act fast and hire a lawyer. Getting out of a jail cell is an important first step.

Baltimore has an unenviable reputation for violations of defendants’ rights in police custody. Attorney Randolph Rice fights for the rights of defendants every day. He has an intimate knowledge of court procedures in Baltimore and worked in Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s office as an assistant state’s attorney before setting up his own practice over a decade ago. Please call us for a free and confidential consultation at (410) 431-0911 as soon as possible if the police arrested your grandchild in Baltimore.