Where Was His Lawyer During Joran van der Sloot's Confession?

Although, Joran van der Sloot was charged of killing someone as foreigners visiting Peru, he should have had a lawyer at his side during his confession. Most people here in the US never expect to be charged with a crime, there can be a time when it can happen. These types of charges can range form warrants being issued for aid traffic tickets to individuals filing lawsuits against you. The best time to prepare for being charged with a crime is before it ever happens.

No matter which type of crime you are charged with, the proceedings will usually happen in a predetermined way. First, a warrant will put for your arrest. If a warrant is issued against you, you will usually be notified of the warrant by being served. Being served means that a police officer will locate you and deliver your warrant papers in person. On rare occasions, a person is arrested before being served with a warrant. In these cases, the arresting officer must show the warrant papers within a reasonable amount of time after the arrest has been made.

After you have been arrested, you will be taken to the police station to be booked. Being booked means that you will be fingerprinted and a file will be opened regarding your case. After being booked, you will generally spend a short amount of time in jail while you await your initial hearing and arrange payment for bail.

While you are in jail, you are allowed to contact an attorney. Any person charged with a crime has the right to seek legal representation. It is very important that you at least meet with an attorney before your initial hearing. If you cannot afford an attorney, or you have not chosen an attorney yet, the court can and must appoint a lawyer for you.

During the initial hearing, you will be asked to make a plea of guilty, not guilty or no contest. Your attorney will advise you as to which plea is most favorable for your situation. Even if you are guilty you may opt to plead not guilty. Some defendant's choose to do this if they feel that the prosecutor does not have enough evidence against them to prove their case. If you plead not guilty, you will be given a trial in which it is the responsibility of the prosecution to prove your guilt. If you plead guilty or no contest, you will not be given a trail, rather you will go straight to a sentencing hearing. If you are proven not guilty at your trial, you will be released from custody. If you are found guilty, you will be given a sentencing hearing.

To insure that all of your rights are protected and that you receive the least sentencing possible, it is important that you hire a competent attorney and become knowledgeable about all of your rights. Joran van der Sloot probrably didn't know of all his rights when he made that confession

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