Why criminal defense lawyers defend the innocent and the guilty
February 19, 2020Assault on a Family Member In Texas
March 4, 2020In America, everyone is granted the right to a fair trial. While the outcomes of these trials cannot always please everyone involved, this law is in place to protect innocent parties and allow every person to make their case in court.
Criminal defense attorneys play a key role within the legal system. Even though people charged with crimes have the option of representing themselves in court, an attorney’s role goes far beyond making a few statements in the courtroom. Legal representation can make or break a trial. When a case involves potential life-altering consequences, there’s no room to take chances.
So why are criminal defense attorney’s so important to society? Let’s break down a few reasons why they are integral to furthering a fair and just society.
Defending Americans’ right to a fair trial
Under the United States Constitution, all citizens that are accused of a crime have the right to a fair trial and legal representation. Under the Miranda Law, even people who cannot afford legal representation, have the right to an attorney during their trial. Without proper legal representation, defendants are at risk for being subject to manipulative prosecution tactics that can be difficult to navigate if you are not familiar with the intricacies of the law. For basic constitutional principles to succeed, defense attorneys need to exist to defend the accused against a system that will do everything in its power to prove their guilt. Attorneys act to counterbalance these legal forces and ensure that their clients are not being taken advantage of.
Protecting the innocent
Criminal law is complicated, to say the least. Every state has its own crimes and penalties for those crimes. Each state also has it’s own nuances when it comes to the law, which means that a lot of times, every single piece of evidence has to add up and point to a guilty verdict. The phrase “innocent until proven guilty” speaks for itself, when in many cases, the prosecution will try and evoke guilt before a verdict has been passed.
An attorney’s job is not to prove innocence in the sense that their client has not done anything wrong. Instead, it is their duty to prove that the prosecution does not have enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. Defense attorneys are continuously pushing the envelope to create more fair and accurate trials in the noblest and most honest way possible to make sure that innocent people’s lives are not ruined.
Navigating the complexities of the legal system
The legal system has hundreds of moving parts and many different people involved at any point in the process. Despite all of the people and systems involved, attorneys are often the ones who come under fire when a case does not end with a publically accepted outcome. At the end of the day, it is their job to know enough about the legal system to create a defense for their client.
The average person does not have enough legal knowledge to adequality defend themself in court. Failing to understand the intricacies of the law will more often than not result in a guilty verdict.
It’s not enough to do research on similar cases and expect to come up with a defense on your own. Criminal attorneys spend years, even decades, studying and practicing law to get to a point where they can successfully navigate the legal system in their state. It’s unwise to think that a few internet searches can replicate this knowledge.
If you are charged with a crime in Houston, it’s time to contact a qualified Houston Criminal Defense Attorney to work on your case. Contact the offices of Christopher T. Gore to set up a consultation and learn more about how he can help you move forward.