​​Know Someone Facing A Criminal Court Case? Here Are 10 Things You Should Know About Supporting Them

When someone close to you is facing criminal charges, there’s a lot of stress, uncertainty, and anxiety. As a close friend, family member, or spouse, it’s understandable that you want to do your best to help them through this difficult time, but it can be challenging to know exactly how to do that. 

This article is here to help you and your loved one navigate the process. Here are 10 things you should know about supporting them!

1. Understanding the Legal Process

The legal process is complicated for the uninitiated, so the most important first step is doing some research to understand the nature of the charges your loved one faces and how the law works in relation to them. 

You should also familiarise yourself with the court system and how that works, so that you have a basic understanding of what will happen and what your options are. 

2. Helping Them Find a Lawyer

One of the most critical elements of this whole process is obtaining proper representation, and with the mental turmoil facing criminal charges can present, your loved one may not be in a position to sort things out themselves. 

A top-rated criminal defense lawyer understands the full breadth of the law and can help you navigate the complexities of any given case. Just be sure to read plenty of reviews before settling on a lawyer, and check that they’ve previously taken on similar cases. 

3. Attend Court Days With Them

Naturally, court days can be particularly difficult for your loved one, so if they’d like you to come and are comfortable with you being there, accompanying them can be a big help. 

The emotional support you can offer will be invaluable, and it can make the difference between someone holding it together on the day or totally breaking down. Just make sure you familiarise yourself with proper courtroom etiquette. 

4. Helping Them With Bail

Bail is another area in which you can be of great aid to your loved one. If the defendant is in jail until their court date arrives, you can help them by bailing them out or helping secure a bail bond. 

This gives them space to breathe and properly prepare for court, rather than stressing about it in a cell.

5. Assisting in Their Daily Routine

When you’re facing criminal charges, it can be extremely difficult to maintain a solid daily routine, but a routine is what keeps people grounded in these times. 

If you’ve noticed that your loved one is skipping showering, meals, and so on, gently try to encourage them to get back to at least some semblance of normality; if they can get the basics down, it’ll help them face the more difficult stuff to come. 

6. Preparing for the Verdict

There are many possible outcomes for a criminal court case, and one of the most anxiety-inducing elements is that it’s very hard to predict what those outcomes will be. 

You should always try and prepare for the worst-case scenario, which in this instance, is jail time. If your loved one were to go to jail for a set period of time, what would happen to their job, family life, and other commitments? And what supports can you put in place to help them with this? 

While it’ll be a hard discussion to have with them, it’s an important one, and in the long run, it can take a lot of weight off the situation. 

7. Offering Emotional Support

One of the biggest supports you can give to your loved one is your ability to provide emotional support. You may not be able to change the outcome in any meaningful way, but being there beside them as they go through it can make all the difference in the world. 

Rather than trying to offer any specific advice (it’s best to let their lawyer handle the legal side), just make sure they know you’re there for them. Show up for them when they need you, and offer care without them having to ask. 

8. Helping Them Feel Normal

Facing criminal charges is about as far from a person’s normal day-to-day life as it gets, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try to maintain a sense of normality as best they can. 

Even though they’re dealing with something very difficult, you can still have days out, go for food, or engage in other entertaining activities with them. They’ll greatly appreciate this, and it’ll help relax them in an otherwise very stressful situation. 

9. Help Them Organize 

As touched on above, people dealing with any kind of criminal charge are going to feel like their head’s a complete muddle, especially in the beginning. This is particularly problematic given that they need to be as organized as possible. 

Thankfully, they have you there to help with that stuff. You can help them organize dates and sort all relevant documents into a folder for them, and you could put their courtroom and lawyer appointments in your own calendar so that you can remind them. 

10. Don’t Get Too Involved

And finally, it’s important not to get too involved. Each of the points above have been discussing how you should involve yourself in supporting your loved one, but there’s also a boundary. 

They’re likely feeling ashamed and embarrassed about having to go through this, so don’t be offended if they often just want to spend time on their own. Their emotions are going to be all over the place, so if they seem like they need a bit of a break, even when you think they need to get on with something, just allow them the space. 

Wrapping Up

Helping someone face a criminal charge is always going to be a challenge, but hopefully, by using the above points as a guide, you now feel a little more ready to tackle it. 

Just make sure to be patient: remember that any anxiety or frustration you’re feeling, they’re feeling it much worse. Stay positive, and you’ll get through it!