The defense lawyer's job is to defend the accused and try to acquit them of the charges in the case. It is not their job to determine if the customer is guilty or not; this must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt by the prosecution. The Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the right to be legally represented by a lawyer for the accused in all criminal proceedings. A defense lawyer represents the accused in court proceedings, usually when they have been accused of committing a crime such as robbery or murder.
Whether the charges are a misdemeanor or a felony, they have the right to a vigorous legal defense, and it is the defense attorney's job to provide it. The defense lawyer must not make, cause it to be done, or authorize or condone any public statement that they know or should reasonably know will have a substantial probability of materially jeopardizing criminal proceedings. They should use procedural mechanisms that cause delays only when there is a legitimate basis for doing so. The defense lawyer should encourage their client to disclose honest information and not try to maintain calculated ignorance.
They should not knowingly propose, advise, or assist in any conduct that they know is criminal or fraudulent, but they can discuss the legal consequences of proposed conduct with their client and advise or assist them in a good faith effort to determine the validity, scope, meaning, or application of the law. No one related to the trial can contact the jury without the judges and lawyers present. Certain criminal defendants can hire private defense attorneys. As soon as possible, and preferably before starting discussions about resolution with the prosecutor, the defense attorney should speak with their client and advise them on possible disposition options. Defense counsel must provide services to their community, including participation in public service and Bar Association activities, public education, community service activities, and Bar Association leadership positions. A defense lawyer who is not involved in a matter and who comments as a source of communication can offer generalized comments in the media on a specific criminal matter that serve to educate the public about the criminal justice system without running the risk of jeopardizing a specific criminal process.
Defense counsel should not accept settlement agreements, exemptions from post-conviction lawsuits related to ineffective assistance of counsel, misconduct of prosecution, or destruction of evidence unless such statements are based on previous cases of such conduct that are specifically identified in the agreement or transcript of proceedings. Defense organizations and offices should periodically review individual lawyers' workloads as well as that of their entire office and adjust it when necessary and as permitted by law to ensure effective and ethical performance of their duties. When asking their client for information and discussing possible options and strategies with them, defense lawyers should not try to induce them to give answers based on facts that are not true. It makes no difference if the client confesses to the crime; defense lawyers should still present the best possible defense. As court officials, they must support authority and dignity of court by following codes of professionalism and expressing courteous and professional attitude toward judge, opposing counsel, witnesses, jurors, courtroom staff, and others. They must develop and maintain courteous and civil working relationships with judges and prosecutors and cooperate with them in developing solutions to address ethical, programming, or other issues that may arise in particular cases or generally in criminal justice system. The role of public criminal defense requires highly developed professional skills and variety of backgrounds, talents, and experience.
