Once the court assigns a lawyer to an indigent defendant, that lawyer will have full control over the defendant during the judicial process. The defense attorney's job is to ensure that the defendant's constitutional rights are not violated. An attorney and a client share attorney-client privileges, meaning that anything the defendant shares with the lawyer is confidential and the lawyer cannot share it with outside sources. While no defense lawyer can guarantee the outcome the defendant wants, part of their job is to work to obtain the agreed outcome or the best possible one. The primary responsibility of a criminal defense attorney is to fight for their client and defend them in court.
This is sometimes referred to as holistic representation, as many defense attorneys try to help their clients by focusing on the entire situation, not just the crime in question. An attorney will be responsible for working with their client and the prosecution to negotiate a plea agreement. A defense lawyer works to ensure that all information between them and their client is confidential, maintaining their innocence throughout the trial. A criminal defense lawyer is hired specifically by the defendant to work with their best interests in mind. It is not the defense lawyer's responsibility to prove the innocence of their client; rather, it is the prosecution's job to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Ultimately, your defense lawyer's main responsibilities are to work with your interests in mind and to defend you both inside and outside the courtroom, trying to get the best possible outcome. Defense attorneys develop relationships with clients as they establish legal needs, provide advice, and help them understand their legal options. While the defense lawyer is not responsible for proving innocence, they must act with due diligence to gather any relevant evidence that can be used to support their client's innocence or that could be used against them.
Criminal defense lawyers
work to defend the rights of their clients in many ways, both inside and outside the courtroom. The defense lawyer's job is to defend their client from unfair practices, false evidence, assumptions of guilt, and to protect the best interests of their client.Another way a defense lawyer will work to defend the rights of their clients is to ensure that they remain innocent until proven guilty by a judge and jury. In addition, if a case goes to trial, a defense attorney maintains authority over jury selection process.
