How a Criminal Defense Lawyer Protects Client’s Rights

Dealing with a criminal charge can be quite traumatic. In a scenario where your liberty is at stake, owing to the charges pressed against you, there’s one person who can fight for your rights. That person can also protect you from the punishment that you probably don’t deserve – a criminal defense lawyer.

A criminal defense lawyer plays a crucial role in ensuring that an accused is treated fairly by the United States criminal justice system. They can get the accused an acquittal and get the penalties lowered significantly.

Your job, your housing application, and even your credit card application – all of these can be denied or negatively impacted owing to the criminal charges levied against you. In order to avoid this, hiring a reputable and skilled criminal defense attorney is an immediate step that needs to be taken.

Here are five ways in which a criminal defense attorney can protect the client’s rights.

1. Conduct Necessary Investigation

After the arraignment, the criminal defense attorney will proceed with conducting the necessary investigation, in order to procure evidence so as to make the accused’s case strong. He/she takes care of the following when investigating the case and representing the accused:

• Knowing who can stand as a strong witness and get them to support the accused
• Availing necessary statements required to build the case
• Familiarizing the accused with local court customs and the entire criminal case procedure
• Counseling the accused about the criminal laws likely to be applicable to his/her case; explain the significance of these laws.

2. Oversee the Conduct of Police and Prosecutors

There may be a chance wherein the evidence gathered by the police officers may be tampered with or even destroyed by them due to certain vested interests. Additionally, there have been cases wherein police reports or police testimonies have been exaggerated or found constituting fabricated details. In scenarios where you might have to deal with dishonest officials, a criminal defense lawyer can help protect your rights. The lawyer can protect you against improper police behavior and assist you in uncovering the truth.

Moreover, you might have to deal with an unprofessional and an unlawful prosecutor. A skilled criminal lawyer can act as a watchdog and oversee the behaviors of the prosecutor and ensure that you are spared unnecessary trouble.

3. Negotiate a ‘Deal’ or a ‘Plea Bargain’

Most states in the U.S.A. offer alternative sentences like diversionary programs for several crimes. An experienced criminal defense attorney can explain the ins and outs of the relevant diversion program for the crime you’ve been charged with. Further, the attorney can help you avail a reduced sentence by negotiating a plea bargain or a deal with the prosecutor.

A deal can not only reduce your sentence, but also eliminate various charges pressed against you. Upon examining your case in detail, a criminal defense attorney can advise the best possible way to go in order to reduce your sentence. He/she can tell you whether or not you should plead guilty, because there are various cases where doing so can immediately result in shorter sentences.

They can provide you with an objective perspective of your situation as well as suggest the steps that need to be taken next. Additionally, the lawyer can also help in getting your penalties reduced to quite an extent.

4. Provide a Vigorous Defense

A skilled criminal defense attorney is always well-versed with the following:

• Preparing opening and closing statements
• Questioning and cross-examining witnesses
• Presenting all possible defenses in the court of law
• Filing the right and appropriated requests with the court
• Ensuring that the evidence to be included was obtained rightly
• Making sure all the Constitutional rights of the accused are protected

The only point that a criminal defense attorney needs to strictly bear in mind (and practice) when presenting your defense is that they cannot knowingly present false information or ask a question that they knows you are going to lie to under oath.

5. Recognize the Loopholes in Prosecution’s Evidence

It may not be possible for an offender to recognize loopholes in the prosecution’s evidence. The offender lacks the skill of reading between the lines or capturing the shortcomings in the evidence presented by the prosecution.

On the other hand, a reputable and experienced criminal defense attorney can smartly recognize or point out a weak point in the prosecution’s argument. He/she has the ability to track down the necessary records and present them to the court, thereby strengthening the case of the accused.

It is, therefore, of utmost importance to be represented by a reputable criminal defense lawyer, one who can protect your Constitutional rights.

There are a lot of ways to find an experienced and skilled criminal defense lawyer. Searching online can be quite advantageous. If you are searching for a lawyer in Chicago, you can search online for criminal defense lawyer Chicago. This will provide you with relevant results. You can check where they stand in terms of their reputation through online rating. On the basis of that, you can go ahead and select a suitable lawyer for your case.

Conclusion

A criminal conviction can negatively impact various aspects of your life. But you can save yourself from severe legal consequences by taking the help of a skilled criminal defense attorney. They will defend you vigorously and try their best to make sure that all your rights are protected. The above mentioned points make very clear the several ways in which a criminal defense attorney can help and protect you from legal hassles.