Best Salt Lake City Criminal Defense Attorneys in 2025

Recommendations While You Wait to Connect to an Attorney

• Don’t talk to any other people involved in your case. This includes alleged victims and witnesses. If you’re contacted about your case by anyone, inform them that you are represented by counsel who will respond if and when appropriate. 
• Create a timeline of events related to your case. This should include dates, times, locations, people with whom you interacted, and any other significant events related to your case. This helps to ensure that no critical evidence is overlooked and that your attorney can build a coherent narrative of your case.
• Write up a detailed account of your recollection ASAP. Like the timeline, make sure that you include dates, times, locations, and the names of anyone you spoke to. Your detailed personal notes can help identify evidence and potential witnesses.
• Collect all relevant documents and evidence for your case. These documents or evidence may include police reports, witness statements, photographs, videos, medical records, and surveillance footage. 
• Prepare to be honest and to provide full disclosure to your attorney. Give a full and accurate account of the events, despite the fact that some of this may be embarrassing or incriminating. Withholding any information—even if you think it’s not relevant—can hinder your defense. Your full disclosure permits your Salt Lake City criminal defense attorney to anticipate potential challenges and to be prepared.
• Refrain from posting anything about your case on social media. No matter if you think it’s a harmless post or tweet, it may damage your defense.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do to help my criminal defense attorney best represent me?

Tell them the truth about what occurred. Provide all evidence and materials requested by your attorney as quickly as possible. Don’t speak to anyone besides your legal team. Don’t try to be your own private investigator – you could end up doing more damage to your case. Communicate politely and punctually with your defense attorney. Be clear about your objectives and what you deem to be an acceptable outcome. Arrive on time (or a bit early) and dress appropriately for all meetings and court appearances. Be respectful of the court and other participants and allow your attorney to address the court and prosecutor on your behalf. Be sure to heed your defense attorney’s advice – they’re the ones with the training and experience to obtain the best possible outcome for your case.

How will my Salt Lake City criminal defense attorney determine the defense strategy?

The strategy of your defense is the domain of your defense attorney. He or she decides on the best defense strategy based on the fluid circumstances in the case. This includes pretrial procedures such as filing motions to suppress and raising an issue such as police misconduct or illegal search and seizure. Criminal defense attorneys must frequently alter their strategies based on evidence presented by the prosecution and the testimony of witnesses, so the strategy may change through plea negotiations and trial.

Should I consider accepting a plea bargain?

A plea bargain is a negotiated agreement where the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge or one of multiple charges in exchange for a more lenient sentence or other consideration.

Accepting a plea bargain can offer several advantages to a defendant facing criminal charges. One is the possibility of reduced charges, which can lessen the severity of the legal consequences. Also, a lighter sentence can mean less jail time or alternative forms of punishment (such as probation). A plea bargain can end a case quickly, letting the defendant move forward with their lives, as a full trial can be lengthy and exhausting.

A big disadvantage of a plea agreement is the waiver of the right to a trial by jury; as a result, you forfeit the opportunity to be acquitted by your peers. Further, even with a lesser charge, the effect of a criminal record can be significant. It can impact future employment opportunities and personal reputation.

How do criminal defense attorneys in Salt Lake City defend people who are caught “red-handed”?

Of course, this depends on the facts of the case and your definition of “red-handed.” A competent criminal defense attorney will examine all the evidence against the client and determine if there are soft spots or holes in the prosecution’s case.

For example, a client may think that law enforcement has more than enough evidence to convict them of theft; nonetheless, the prosecution still has to prove its case and show that the client is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In the case of theft, depending on the circumstances, a criminal defense attorney may raise the following defenses: entrapment, coercion, mistaken identity, proof of property ownership, or a mistake.

Is it common for my defense attorney to rarely contact me about my case?

This is common, especially if there is no activity in the case. However, American Bar Association Rules of Professional Conduct 1.4. states that a lawyer must: inform you of any decision or circumstance that would require your “informed consent.” They must consult with you about the means of achieving your objectives. They must keep you “reasonably” informed about the status of your case. They must promptly reply with any requests you may have for information. The lawyer must also explain any limitations to their representation. 
In addition, the lawyer must explain a matter to the extent reasonably necessary to permit the client to make informed decisions regarding the representation. Notable, the rule says that in a criminal case, the lawyer “shall promptly inform a client of all proffered plea agreements.”

Nonetheless, if you haven’t heard from your defense attorney, you are free to reach out to them to ask about the status of your case.

What should I consider a “win” in my case?

“Winning” has a unique new meaning in the area of criminal defense. First, note that the only cases that go forward are those in which the prosecutor believes they can get a conviction. The criminal justice system is set up so the deck is stacked against the defense. At the point where a client speaks to a Salt Lake City criminal defense attorney, law enforcement (city police, County Sheriff, FBI, etc.) has concluded that the individual has committed a crime. They’ve named the client as a suspect and have provided the evidence. The prosecutor (the city prosecutor, the county attorney, or the U.S. attorney) has also reviewed the evidence and has arrived at the same conclusion.

With that framework in mind, clients and their counsel must adjust their expectations as to what qualifies as a “win.” A “win” may be preventing a defendant from receiving jail time or from receiving a felony conviction. It also may be a plea bargain in which some of the charges against the defendant are dismissed. Preventing a defendant from losing their driver’s license for an extended period could also be a “win.”

A “win” for a defense attorney isn’t always an acquittal or a “not guilty” verdict for their client. Rather, a “win” is getting the best possible outcome for the client based on the facts, the evidence, and the law.