What does a defense lawyer do?

by | Nov 26, 2013 | Lawyers & Law Firms

In the event you are charged with a crime that breaks state or federal law you immediately, upon charge, become the defendant in the case. Under these circumstances you are advised to hire a criminal layer in Timonium, MD to represent you in a court of law. On the other side of the table is the prosecutor who represents the state and not the victim directly.

Criminal law is different from civil law inasmuch as the victim does not get direct representation; the victim is represented by the prosecutor who brings charges against the defendant as an agency of the state or country. Every defendant in a criminal case is guaranteed representation, if he or she cannot afford the services of a private criminal lawyer in Timonium, MD then the court is obliged to provide one. Although there are many state appointed attorneys that are capable of defending the client, they are usually so overwhelmed with cases that most defendants find a way to hire a personal attorney.

When the case is heard in court, the task of the criminal lawyer is to use the law to the full extent in defending the client; the objective is to cast doubt in the minds of the jurors that the prosecution has a valid case. In the US, a person is innocent in the eyes of the law until proven guilty, not the other way around. If the evidence in the case is such that the defense lawyer can get the client exonerated, this evidence will be brought out at the right time during the trial.

The defense lawyer is there to defend the client, but there is a limit to the tactics that can be employed. The defense lawyer cannot knowingly lie to the court nor can the defense bring on a witness to perpetuate a lie. It is for these reasons that in some cases the defense lawyers do not want to know if their client is guilty or not, the lack of this knowledge allows for far greater flexibility when defending the case. In cases of lesser significance to the court, the opposite may be true, if the lawyer knows the truth he or she may be in a better position to enter into a plea bargain or how to best present the evidence in court to get a lesser sentence.

You will need the services of a criminal lawyer in Timonium, MD in the event you are charged with a felony or misdemeanor. You are invited to discuss your case with the lawyers at the Law Offices of Maria K. Caruso.

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