San Diego, CA criminal defense attorney Sharon Appelbaum shares her advice for clients facing serious criminal allegations. She advocates that individuals facing serious criminal allegations should immediately hire an attorney to ensure they have professional guidance and support. She emphasizes the importance of avoiding law enforcement and refraining from speaking to anyone about the situation, as anything said can be used against them—even seemingly innocuous comments or attempts to demonstrate innocence.

According to her, the primary role of the attorney is to act on the client’s behalf, including communicating with law enforcement if necessary. She also stresses the importance of gathering evidence, noting that while clients may believe they have all relevant information, external evidence not directly provided by them can often be the most persuasive in a case.