If you have a loved one who has recently been arrested, you may be working hard to figure out how best to help them or you may be wondering if you should let them figure out a resolution to their situation on their own. Both responses to this kind of stress are both normal and understandable. And because no two people experience the world in exactly the same ways, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for a situation like yours.
With that said, it’s important to take your loved one’s future into account, even if their present struggles seem to be sucking all of the air out of whatever room you may be inhabiting. For better and for worse, an individual’s brush with the law may affect them forever. Your loved one’s arrest may or may not “scare them straight.” But either way, failing to help them mount the strongest possible defense to the charges they’re facing is probably not the right way to go.
Why help?
Both those who are convicted of criminal wrongdoing after making a misstep and innocent individuals who are convicted alike can suffer consequences that can haunt them forever, no matter how hard they work to turn their circumstances around. In deference to your loved one’s future potential, it generally isn’t wise to give up hope that they can work for a brighter tomorrow.
With that said, there’s certainly nothing wrong with having doubts, given that you want whatever is best for your loved one and you may be concerned that if they don’t spend time in jail or a substance abuse facility, etc. that they may not be around much longer. Your feelings are influenced by whether this is a first-time mistake or a pattern of concerning behavior that has you worried about their well-being.
No matter what your doubts or convictions may be, know that you can seek legal guidance at any time, both to get an informed professional opinion about your loved one’s defense and about their situation overall.
