How Withholding Information Can Affect your Case during a Criminal Trial

Often, people who are facing trial in a criminal case try to withhold vital information from their attorney. They feel that admission of guilt or their involvement in the case might influence their attorney into abandoning the case or sabotaging the defense. They also feel that their lawyer would not try very hard to get a favorable decision if they have already admitted their guilt. However, this is far from the truth. A criminal defense attorney hired by you is committed to give their best for your case. Irrespective of your admission of guilt and his personal opinion on the case, your lawyer will always try to prove the prosecutor wrong. Withholding information can actually have a negative impact on your case if your lawyer is not aware of exactly what happened and other details.

Why you must Share all Information with your Lawyer

The U.S. jurisprudence firmly believes that any person is innocent until proven guilty. While the prosecutor’s job is to prove your guilt, it is your lawyer’s duty to prove your innocence. A criminal defense attorney will never dilute his efforts simply because he or she believes or knows that you have committed the crime. It is not his role to conclude if you have indeed committed the crime or not…rather he is more concerned with whether there is sufficient evidence to prove your crime beyond reasonable doubt. Your criminal defense attorney’s job is to be your advocate and ensure that you do indeed receive a fair trial, irrespective of your involvement in the crime.

Not all attorneys will however want to know all the details pertaining to the case. Some do want to get all the details including the good and the bad. They believe that they cannot defend something about which they don’t have all the details of. It can be an embarrassing moment for your lawyer and you if certain evidences crop up during the trial which your lawyer is unaware of.

However, there are attorneys who are concerned with only what the prosecution knows. They want to build their case in an unbiased manner, working under the premise that you are guilty all along. Possibilities of your innocence can make their defense more complicated and dilute the critical focus of the case. It becomes easier for them if you admit your guilt as they can present the best defense without missing out on any clinching evidence or compelling argument. But do remember that irrespective of your criminal defense attorney’s preference, it is his duty to keep all such information strictly confidential.

Discussing everything with your Attorney

Always tell the entire truth to your criminal defense attorney. This allows him or her to understand what defense to take and what will work or won’t work in your particular case or situation. For example, if you have murdered somebody but tell your lawyer that you did it while facing extreme physical torture for months, your criminal defense attorney will build a case of physical abuse and try to get you a fair trial. You might feel embarrassed or nervous but this should not prevent you from seeking the best defense.