Defending Your Case
At the Police Station
If you are arrested, because you have been accused of committing a crime, then you should ask for John Robinson & Co solicitors on arrival at the police station. The police will contact the Defence Solicitor Call Centre, who will then notify us of your detention. We will contact you as soon as we are able after receiving this notification.
Similarly, if the police want to interview you under caution as a volunteer by appointment, you should contact us as soon as possible so that we can make the necessary arrangements to arrange for you to be represented.
Whatever the circumstances, you should always insist on having legal representation when interviewed at the police station. We maintain an all-year-around, 24 hours-a-day rota, to ensure that our clients always have access to independent legal advice when at the police station.
This advice and representation at the police station is FREE whatever your financial position.
The right to free, independent legal advice can only be withheld in very particular (and rarely used) circumstances and, even then, that right can only be delayed for a limited period. In nearly all cases, you should be told upon your arrival at the police station that you are entitled to free, independent legal advice.
Do not be swayed by any improper suggestions that might be made to you that asking for a lawyer will cause a delay in your release or progress being made with your case.
Do not be persuaded that, as the police just want ‘a chat’, you do not need independent legal advice. Remember, a police officer investigating a criminal offence where you are a suspect will not have your interests uppermost in his or her mind.
You should ask for us when you are at the police station as a suspect even if;
- You did it
- You didn’t do it
- You can’t remember what happened
- You think you can sort it out later
- You just want to get it over and done with
Why? Because;
- It will cost you nothing
- The police will nearly always provide the legal representative some disclosure prior to interview, so that you will know the nature of the allegations that you face before you are interviewed
- You will have the benefit of legal advice on the criminal allegations that you face - and whether you should answer police questions or not
- Criminal cases are commonly thought to have been won or lost by what happened at the police station
The Magistrates’ Court and Youth Court
We are based in Hull, and our lawyers appear daily at our local Magistrates’ and Youth Courts in Hull, Beverley, and Bridlington, and sometimes further afield.
We can provide you with personal, expert advice and representation whether you appear in custody, on bail, or in answer to a summons or requisition. We can deal with the simplest of uncontested allegations to the most complex defended matters-and regularly do so.
Unlike in police station, publicly-funded representation before the Court is dependent on the defendant qualifying for legal aid by;
i) the allegation being serious enough to justify the grant of legal aid, and
ii) the defendant having sufficiently limited financial means
We can help advise you whether your case is one for which you would be likely to qualify for legal aid.
If you do not qualify, then you would have to pay privately if you wanted to be represented at Court. More details about legal and our private fees can be found on our Funding Your case page.
We can represent you at the Magistrates’ Court whether you are pleading guilty, are facing trial in a disputed case, or any other matter requiring representation. We can represent you, subject to funding, whether you face a straight-forward road traffic matter or minor public order allegation, or allegations of serious violence and misconduct.
If you have a case in the Magistrates’ Court, and want to speak to us about being represented in the proceedings, then feel free to contact us to discuss your matter on a no-obligation basis.
The Crown Court and beyond
Of course, it is possible to defend proceedings in person at the Crown Court, but the complex nature of such cases means that an overwhelming majority of defendants are represented by specialist lawyers and advocates.
If your case is headed to the Crown Court, whether for trial, sentence, or appeal, then you will almost certainly need representation. We can help you prepare your defence, obtain appropriate expert evidence if required, and arrange for the right advocate to put your case to the court.
We maintain regular contact with an excellent network of experts who can provide specialist reports on a wide range of evidential scientific issues.
In addition to highly experienced in-house solicitor-advocate Harold Bloomfield (see Our People), we have long-standing links with leading barristers’ chambers across the region (and further afield) so that we can arrange an advocate specifically suited to the needs of your case, your defence, and your circumstances.
Funding your case in the Crown Court, and beyond, can be expensive. Even if you are granted public funding you may have to pay a contribution towards the costs of your representation. Further details are available on the Funding Your case page. In addition, you can always contact us for a no obligation discussion about your case and funding options.