A criminal defense attorney can be a lifesaver for many people. When you hire a criminal attorney you should know what to expect from them. A good criminal attorney can be the difference between living a quality fulfilling life and spending years of your life in prison.
A good defense attorney must perform the following five tasks
Investigate Charges
The first duty of the criminal defense attorney is to investigate the charges laid against you. They need to know what the complaint is and the nature of the case. This is important as each charge could carry differing consequences and needs different defense techniques.
Analyze Evidence
The prosecutor is duty-bound to provide you with all the evidence that will be used against you. Your criminal defense attorney should be on the frontline to demand this evidence. They should discuss it with you since you have first-hand information about the evidence.
Defend your Rights
A criminal defense attorney should defend your rights. This may include defending you against unnecessary searches and incriminating yourself. Of importance to the defense attorney is the methods used to collect evidence. If your rights were violated, they should use that to the advantage of your case.
Negotiate a Disposition
The prosecutors are not always out to seek the maximum sentence for the suspect. In some cases, the attorney may help you negotiate a disposition, especially when the chances of escaping conviction are very low. However, one needs to clearly understand and be comfortable with the disposition before one accepts it.
Take The Case to Trial
When the prosecutor is highly unreasonable, the evidence is weak, or one has a great chance of winning the case, then the defense attorney should take the case to trial. Their duty in the trial is cross-examination. They must be confident that they can discredit all the witness evidence presented in the court.
