The Criminal Attorney For The Defendant
The Criminal Attorney For The Defendant protects our constitution. Many people do not understand this. They see him or her as someone trying to get a guilty person off; trying to help his or her client beat the rap. But the constitution says that everyone has the right to a lawyer.
In some governments the accused does not have the right to a lawyer. But in this land the right to a lawyer is the foundation of our freedom. Never should we take this right lightly. It is the duty of the attorney to assure that the rights of the accused are upheld.
The government brings the charge against the accused in a criminal proceeding. It is the government that has to adhere to the law. The government has to adhere to the rules of criminal procedure and to the rules of evidence before the accused and be found guilty.
A person also has the right to plead guilty to the charge. This is under his lawyer’s advice in almost every case. The lawyer will try to get a lessor charge his client can plead to. He is not there to lie about his client but he is there just the same seeking the best deal possible.
The practice is called plea bargaining. If the evidence against the accused is so overwhelming that he will be found guilty in a trial then he might be better off having his lawyer negotiate a deal with the prosecution.
The lawyer in this becomes negotiator on his client’s behalf. He can meet with the prosecutor and explain that his client messed up once and will not do the crime again. He will point out that that the client is willing to take classes or attend counseling to help change his ways.
The lawyer has the duty to zealously represent his client. This is why he will discuss and try to get the best deal the prosecution is willing to agree to.
He wants to get the lowest sentence the prosecutor will agree to. It is the court that determines the sentence. But in most cases the judge will follow the advice of the prosecution as to what the sentence should be.
If the lawyer cannot get a favorable deal then the case has to go to trial. In this instance the attorney goes to trial to make sure the government proves their case. He will not go in to misrepresent his client. He has to make sure the government does not also misrepresent their case.
The government has the burden of proof. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. This means the defendant need only rebut the case of the government. He does not have to prove his innocence.
Many might think bad about the defense criminal attorney. But people who have never been on the wrong end of a criminal prosecution do not realize that when you are charged with a crime you are thankful that the constitution provides the right to legal representation.