subject: The Roles That Criminal Attorneys Play [print this page] When it comes to the U.SWhen it comes to the U.S. justice system, criminal attorneys play a vital role. They are the legal practitioners who have the important job of defending individuals who have been accused with committing crimes. These lawyers work for the defense of the clients that hire them. They protect the rights of the defendants by making sure that they receive a fair trial. They also make sure that their clients have the right to be thought of as innocent until they have been proven guilty.
Criminal attorneys protect the rights of people who otherwise would have no one under the law to see to their rights. The job of a defense lawyer is to do everything in his professional capacity to ensure that the accused person is not deprived of any of his or her constitutional rights.
The best way to describe what criminal attorneys do is that they represent those who have been accused of a crime or crimes. These individuals are referred to as defendants. Defense lawyers either help to negotiate a plea bargain for their clients or they represent them in court during a trial.
A plea bargain takes place when the defendant decides to admit to guilt in the hopes that the sentence they receive will be lenient. The criminal defense provider will sit down with the prosecutor and arrange the best deal possible for the accused.
If the defendant does not want to plead guilty, the legal specialist he has hired will represent him when the trial takes place. Criminal attorneys need to talk over every aspect of the step-by-step process of the upcoming trial with their clients.
If the trial takes place instead of the plea bargain, the primary aim of the criminal defense lawyer will be to introduce to the court reasonable doubt. The individual who was charged with the crime can be found guilty if the prosecutor is able to build his own case of reasonable doubt against the defense. Criminal attorneys need to bring as much uncertainty into the court room as possible. The more uncertainty that the judge and jury experience as the defense lawyer presents his case before them, the more likely it will be that the defendant will be successful in being found not guilty.
Defense lawyers have numerous ways in which they can cast doubt on the prosecutor's case. They can bring forth a different explanation for the crime or they could offer an alternative theory of the events. The evidence presented by the prosecuting lawyer can be attacked by the defense from any number of angles. Another means of furthering the case for the defense is to find a means of discrediting the witnesses for the prosecution.
Criminal attorneys working toward a not guilty verdict will work tirelessly in the court room to build a plausible case and do everything possible to get the jury on their client's side.
