Oklahoma Criminal Defense Lawyers

There are few events as emotionally charged as being charged with a crime. The stress, apprehension and fear of your situation might lead you to think that pleading guilty, throwing yourself at the mercy of the court, is your only option. At the Hunsucker Legal Group, our driving passion is for securing our clients’ freedom and dignity by having criminal charges reduced or dismissed. With our aggressive pursuit of justice, our goal is to make certain that you don’t end up with a criminal conviction on your record.

Being Accused Does Not Mean Being Convicted

Criminal charges are just that – charges. They are not a conviction, they are not an expression of guilt and they are not a permanent mark on your criminal history. Even an arrest is not the end of your story. Remember that the prosecution bears the burden of proving your guilt. They must present evidence against you that surpasses the standard of reasonable doubt, evidence so strong that no argument against it can hold. This is a very high bar to clear, and one that any prosecution will have difficulty reaching.

People are arrested every day all over Oklahoma, but those who invest in themselves can have their charges dropped or reduced. And investing in yourself means seeing your legal situation, understanding your options and hiring the best criminal defense attorney. Under the protection and guidance, your story can be told, a judge or jury can be convinced of your innocence, and your freedom can be restored.

Invest in Yourself

Investing in yourself means walking away from a trial with a favorable outcome, avoiding jail time, fines and other consequences that might come with a guilty verdict. It’s an investment worth making, and one that you’ll want to make as soon as possible. When you’re facing criminal charges, the clock is ticking. The sooner you work toward protecting your rights and securing an attorney, the greater the odds that you will walk away with a positive outcome and no criminal history that will haunt your future.

At Hunsucker Legal Group, we’ve seen time and time again that the cases most easily won are those in which the client worked swiftly to hire an attorney, remain silent, and uphold their legal rights. Don’t talk to investigators, don’t talk to the police, and ask to speak with a lawyer immediately.

The Importance of Evidence

One benefit of speaking to us as soon as possible is that it gives our internal private investigators more time to gather the evidence that will exonerate you. Our private investigator will comb through all of the evidence, building up evidence in your favor and finding flaws in the evidence against you. This means amassing everything from witness statements to bodycam footage and police reports, even working with forensic experts to analyze data and any lab tests, leaving no stone unturned.

And gathering this evidence is crucial. The sooner we can track it down, the sooner we can begin building your case and telling your story.

Telling Your Story

The evidence will prove your innocence, but ultimately it is your story that will win you your freedom. Whether it’s a bench trial or a jury trial, the ultimate goal is convincing someone on an emotional level of your innocence. It’s a matter of putting them right there at the scene, showing your side of it and leading them to the understanding that you are not a criminal.

Compiling evidence takes a skilled investigator, but turning that evidence into a compelling argument takes a masterful storyteller in the courtroom. It’s a difficult skill to master, but one which the attorneys at Hunsucker Legal Group have proven adept at winning thousands of cases. Building trust with our clients, we work with them to craft this story and earn the privilege of telling it in court.

Your Attorney’s Role

Beyond simply telling your story, an attorney’s job is to put the full force of their deep knowledge and extensive experience in the courtroom at your disposal. They do so by negotiating with the prosecution, securing the best deal for you. They do so by establishing relationships with judges, giving them insight into how they might rule in a certain case. They do so by presenting arguments, evidence, asking questions, presenting facts, information, and witnesses at just the right time and sequence to the right audience in your favor.

In short, they serve as your protector, your confidante and your negotiator. In or out of court, their job is to build your trust in their legal acumen. That trust will play a vital role in shaping their ability to anticipate the prosecutions’ arguments, identifying weaknesses in the case against you and thinking quickly on their feet during the heat of a criminal trial.

How Your Court Dates Will Work

There are several steps, and multiple court dates, between the initial arrest or indictment and the final verdict. At every step of the way, your attorney will be pressing every advantage to give you the best possible outcome. A typical criminal case will usually consist of the following:

Arraignment: This is the initial court appearance in which the defendant will have the criminal charges against them read aloud. At this stage, the defendant has the option of entering a plea, either guilty or not guilty. We always plead our clients not guilty.

Preliminary Hearing: Preliminary hearings are only available for felony cases. Once a plea of not guilty has been entered, the court will reconvene for a preliminary hearing to ensure that sufficient evidence exists to proceed to trial. Essentially a smaller version of the criminal trial, this hearing will allow prosecution to present evidence and witnesses to the judge. More crucially, it will allow your defense attorney to challenge that evidence and cross-examine those witnesses. Once the judge has heard from both sides, they will determine whether to dismiss the case or proceed to trial.

Pretrial Conference: If the judge in the preliminary hearing does agree to move ahead with a criminal case, the prosecution and defense will meet next to negotiate any settlement or plea bargain that could keep a trial from happening. Occasionally, the judge may also play a role in the pretrial conference, ruling on matters of evidence or establishing deadlines for any motions that either side would look to file.

Trial: If there are no plea agreements or settlements, and if all parties are satisfied that a trial can move forward fairly, the main trial will begin. It is at this stage that both prosecution and defense will present arguments, evidence and witnesses to a judge or jury. At the end, the defendant will either be found guilty or not guilty.

Getting a Second Opinion

Even if you are completely satisfied with the arguments your attorney has created and the experience they bring to the table, it can still be important to get a second opinion. Not only will it give you a more thorough understanding of your case and a different perspective, it can help you get ahead of any undiscovered opportunities, discover evidence that may have been overlooked, avoid costly mistakes down the road and give you peace of mind that you are exploring every possible avenue before making an informed decision.

You may be confident in your attorney’s approach, but it never hurts to explore alternative strategies and look at your case with a fresh set of eyes.

The Hunsucker Legal Group Difference

A criminal conviction can mean so much more than just fines and jail time. Don’t let a guilty verdict keep you from pursuing a career, securing housing, establishing relationships in your community and living your best life. Invest in a legal group that wins cases through intense preparation.

Because that, ultimately, is what it comes down to. The side that comes to the bargaining table or the courtroom better prepared has a better chance at victory of your future life. It’s why our attorneys make sure they know more about your case than the prosecution and even the officer that arrested you, taking the time to build a relationship with you, track down all the evidence, and tell your story.

Search through the more than 500 Google reviews, read about the cases we’ve won. Then, when you’re ready, invest in yourself by scheduling a free, no-obligation case evaluation today. Once you realize that there are more options than you considered, you will sleep better tonight knowing that things will work out and you will be ok.

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Payment Plans & Free Case Evaluation

When you hire an attorney to defend your criminal case, you are making an investment in your future. We offer payment plans for our clients to make affording our services as easy and convenient as possible. But before you make a hiring decision, schedule a free consultation to sit down with one of our attorneys and learn exactly how we will help you with your case.

Our Team

Our firm is made up of accomplished, knowledgeable, and nationally recognized attorneys, starting with founder and principal attorney John Hunsucker. Mr. Hunsucker is a highly experienced criminal defense attorney and is one of only three lawyers in the state of Oklahoma to achieve Board Certification in DUI defense.