Lindsey Granados | Cary/Raleigh Criminal Defense Lawyer

• Member | North Carolina State Bar Association

I had a client who was charged with several counts of alleged statutory rape of his stepdaughter, which is a Class B1 felony. It was our contention that the child had been coached by her mom to make up these allegations to get back at our client when he cut off funding after they broke up. This case went on for quite some time, and we were on the verge of going to a trial, for which the client would spend 25+ years in prison if he were to be found guilty of even one count. I was able to successfully negotiate for a dismissal of all felony charges, and he pled guilty to one count of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile; he received a sentence 12 months unsupervised probation, and he did not serve a day in jail after he was arrested. His misdemeanor conviction will be expungable in 4 years, which will completely wipe out any record of these charges.

Hard work, and always trying to do my best for my clients and their particular circumstances. Listening when people tell you what happened that led to the criminal charges, without judgment. Treating my clients with kindness and the same care that I would want someone to treat me if I were in their shoes. Telling my clients the truth about their situation so they can make the best decision on how they want to proceed with their case. Advocating zealously on their behalf to the DAs to get the best possible outcomes. Nothing shows a DA that you mean it when you tell them their case has problems more than actually trying the case and winning. Then ADAs know that they need to take you seriously and give you better deals than those attorneys who simply roll over and take whatever plea the State offers them. When you do these things, I think word gets around that you're an attorney who can be trusted.

You need a lawyer who is a straight shooter and who will tell you the truth, even if the truth hurts sometimes. You need someone who will go to bat for you, and try to get the best possible outcome. You need a lawyer who knows the law, the ADAs and the judges, and how they are likely to react. You need a criminal defense lawyer who has a good reputation as a trial lawyer, not just someone who pleads everyone out.

Absolutely essential. Every single county in North Carolina does things a little differently, and it is important that you hire someone local to where your charges are. Those attorneys have formed relationships, built over years of working with ADAs and judges, and that can work to your benefit.

When I start a consultation, I like to have a prospective client provide me with the facts of the case. I will typically ask a bunch of questions in order to gain a clear picture of the factual and legal issues that are involved. Once I am familiar with the facts, I provide you a high-level overview of what to expect for your charges, the court processes, and what possible outcome(s) I would intend to seek if I were to represent you.

Every case is different factually, so even if I talk with 5 people in a row charged with DWI, every single one of their situations will be different, and I need to know about the chronology of what happened, and everything involved with your interaction with law enforcement. I will ask questions about things that may make a difference in how we strategically handle the case moving forward. Apart from that, I just need honesty. If you aren't honest with me, I may assess something incorrectly. It's just like doing to the doctor. A doctor can't diagnose your illness if you only tell him about half of your symptoms. Same thing with lawyers. When I am speaking with you, I am analyzing your legal situation in light of the elements of the offense, and trying to ascertain whether the State can meet those elements and prove them beyond a reasonable doubt. If I am only given half the information, my assessment of your situation will be incomplete.

I am a trial lawyer. I am not afraid to take on difficult cases, even things like child sex offenses or other high-level felonies. Many lawyers may find it difficult to take on cases like that because they lack the stomach to handle those kinds of cases. I will always do my best to provide correct legal guidance for you, even with the toughest and trickiest allegations.

Everybody loves to win, for sure. However, "winning" can mean different things for every individual client. For some, avoiding a Habitual Felon indictment is a win. I love it when charges are dismissed entirely by a prosecutor after you have pointed out the flaws in their case. For others, getting clients the resources they need, like access to the substance abuse or mental health treatment they truly need in order to improve their lives and help them move forward is incredibly rewarding.

Music has always played a large role in my life, and I love to sing. I also love to binge watch shows on Netflix with my husband, and enjoy spending time with my daughter, who is also musically inclined. Lastly, I am a big reader, and am usually found on my lunch break with my Kindle in hand.

Most definitely. I am actively involved in a number of organizations within the community, and have served as an officer in a number of organizations like Wake Women Attorneys and the Wake County Academy of Criminal Trial Lawyers. I am currently the Chair of the CLE committee for the Wake County Bar Association, and serve on the Board on Directors for the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ). For the past few years, I have also served as the NCAJ representative to North Carolina's multidisciplinary Sentencing Policy Advisory Commission, appointed initially by Chief Justice Sherri Beasley, and then subsequently reappointed to the Commission 3 times by Chief Justice Paul Newby. Lastly, I am actively involved in my local church in Cary, NC, participating in Sunday School and the music program.