[GRAPHIC: The truth about conviction]
MARK J. SACCO: Don't let anyone tell you that a criminal conviction isn't a big deal. Criminal conviction never goes away. It will stay with you for the rest of your life. You could lose your job. You could go to prison. You can be on federal probation. For the rest of your life, you will be labeled a criminal.
You want a lawyer who is not afraid to stand up in the district attorney's office or the federal government. You want a lawyer who is willing to try your case. If you haven't committed a crime, you want a lawyer who is going to defend you, to look at the facts of your case, to make a determination if you've actually committed a crime. And if you haven't you should not be a felon. You should not go to federal prison or state prison. And you should not go on probation.
[GRAPHIC: The best defense]
MARK J. SACCO: I'm not a lawyer who is going to tell you to plead guilty if I don't think you've committed a crime.
If you find yourself being prosecuted by the federal government or a district attorney in the State of New York, they are going to spend significant resources to bring a case against you. And the way to respond to that serious threat is to retain an attorney to represent you who only handles criminal cases.
We are a criminal defense firm. The only cases that this firm handles are criminal defense cases. Our entire focus is on defending the accused's rights.
In the past, we've had great success with trials. We have tried and won a murder case. We have tried and won a federal conspiracy case. We are committed to defending anyone in any county in any part of New York State.
[GRAPHIC: Does Talking to a Lawyer Make Me Look Guilty?]
You should not feel that you'll look guilty if you do not want to talk to the police, if you contact a lawyer. That is a common misconception that you'll look guilty. The law provides-the Constitution of the United States provides that you do not have to talk to the police. I've certainly had cases where the client has called me after the police have called them and as a result of me intervening and telling the police that my client will not be speaking to them, that they were never charged with a crime.
[GRAPHIC: Finding Good Counsel]
I'm always shocked when I hear that someone has gone to the yellow pages with a phone book to find an attorney. What I normally ask them is, "If you needed a heart transplant, would you look in the yellow pages for a heart doctor?" And they of course always respond, "No." So then I ask them, "Well your life, the rest of your life and your future is now at stake. Why would you then go to the phone book and look for a lawyer?
Think very, very carefully before you choose who is going to represent you in this very, very serious matter. At the end of a trial, when the jury rises and I hear the words "not guilty," that's why I became a lawyer.
[GRAPHIC: Photo]
