This guide is part of our practice-area guides. It covers the questions people ask before they call a defense lawyer, why state statutes decide which page gets quoted, the pages we build, and the advertising care points for a practice built on outcomes clients care about deeply.
The questions criminal defense clients ask
- What happens at a first court appearance?
- Should I talk to the police without a lawyer?
- Will this charge stay on my record?
- Can I keep my license after a drunk driving arrest?
- What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony here?
- How much does a criminal defense lawyer cost?
Many are asked late at night, on behalf of a family member, by someone who has never been in a courtroom. We cover the moment in more depth in what people ask AI after an arrest.
Why state detail decides citations
People search for "DUI" or "DWI" interchangeably, but the statute decides what the offense is called and what has to be proven. North Carolina names the offense impaired driving: under G.S. 20-138.1(a), a person commits it by driving while under the influence of an impairing substance, with an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more, or with any amount of a Schedule I controlled substance or its metabolites in the blood or urine. Florida calls the offense driving under the influence in section 316.193(1), Florida Statutes, and it covers a person driving or in actual physical control of a vehicle whose normal faculties are impaired or whose blood or breath alcohol level meets the 0.08 threshold.
A page that uses the right term, cites the right section, and describes the local steps is the version an assistant can quote without misleading the reader. The North Carolina guide and the Florida guide show how state rules shape the rest of a firm's pages.
Pages we build for criminal defense firms
- Charge pages that use the statute's own name for the offense and cite the section
- Process pages for the courts you appear in: first appearance, bond, and what to bring
- License and record explainers written for your state and checked against its statutes
- Answer posts for the questions families ask in the first 48 hours
- County pages only where you take cases
Each page opens with a direct answer and follows the structure in AEO for law firms, so the opening can stand alone when an assistant lifts it.
Advertising care points
Defense marketing leans on dismissals and acquittals, and that is where advertising rules bite. North Carolina Rule 7.1 treats a statement likely to create an unjustified expectation about results the lawyer can achieve as misleading. "Charges dropped" with no context, quoted alone in an AI answer, can read like a promise to the next reader. Our answer on publishing case results online covers the general rules.
Specialist wording is the second risk. In North Carolina, Rule 7.2(c) bars stating that a lawyer is a specialist unless certified by the State Bar, an organization it accredits, or an ABA-accredited organization it endorses, with the certifying body named. Check your own state's rule before a page uses the word. Pages also should never invite readers to describe the facts of their case through a website form.
Working with other practices
Criminal matters often touch other practice areas. A charge can affect a custody case or a protective order, and those readers may land on a defense page first. Where your firm handles both, link to your family law pages from the places where the questions overlap, and say plainly which matters you take.
Common questions
Should a defense firm use DUI or DWI on its pages?
Use the term your state's statute uses for the offense, cite the section, and mention the other common terms once so readers who search them find the page. In North Carolina, for example, G.S. 20-138.1 names the offense impaired driving.
Can we publish dismissals and verdicts?
That depends on your state's rules. Where results are allowed, they need context so they do not create unjustified expectations. Write answer blocks that stand on their own without a result.