On this page you will find general answers to common questions asked by defendants in criminal cases. Nothing contained on this page is intended as legal advice nor does it create an attorney-client relationship between any person and this office. The information contained on this page is for reference purposes only and may not apply to your specific case. For specific answers to your questions you should contact an attorney.
The Judge ordered that I'm not supposed to have contact with someone in my case am I allowed to talk to them if they contact me?
If a judge enters a no-contact order in a defendant's case that means that the defendant is not allowed to have contact with the protected person. No-contact orders do not prevent the protected person from reaching out to the defendant and trying to contact them. The order only applies one way and the protected person does not face any potential consequences for contacting the defendant. It is important to understand that no contact really means no contact. Even if the protected person initiates the contact, the defendant is still ordered to not have contact with him or her and can face consequences for doing so.
Can my family be with me when I meet my attorney?
Your family should not be with you when you meet with your attorney. Anything you say to your attorney in private is protected by attorney-client privilege. Your attorney cannot be forced to reveal these communications and is ethically prohibited from doing so. This protection extends to the rest the attorney's office, including any other attorneys and staff. It does not extend to your family. If you have family or anyone else in the room when you are talking to your attorney the communication is no longer protected by that privilege. This means that those people who are present could potentially be called to testify about what you told your attorney. The best thing to do is to have meetings with only your attorney and members of the attorney's office.