The Role of Qualified Criminal Lawyers in Defense Proceedings – Guest Post

Criminal law which is also popularly referred to as penal law is the body of law that relates to various criminal cases and punishment. When an act that omits public law is steered by someone, then this is referred to as a crime. The field of criminal law majorly regulates the social conduct & behavior of persons that are harmful, threatening or somehow endangering to the safety, health, moral welfare of property and people. Criminal law involves prosecution and then it is eventually tagged as a crime. Criminal law also includes the punishment of those individuals who tends to violate certain laws. The punishment can be in the form of imprisonment, property forfeiture, capital fine etc. A criminal lawyer usually deals with all types of criminal cases.

What is the role of criminal lawyers?

Criminal lawyers are also known as criminal defense lawyers who specialize in defending the individuals & companies that are charged with certain criminal activities. Most criminal lawyers usually practice privately or run a law firm. Several criminal lawyers are also being hired by corporate companies to manage certain legal affairs. Also, some criminal lawyers work for the government and non-profit agencies. The criminal lawyers have expertise in handling a large range of criminal cases that range from sex crimes, domestic violence crimes, theft, drug crimes, embezzlement and several other forms of crime. The criminal lawyers usually represent the defendants or accused who are facing criminal charges in the different types of trial courts & appellate courts.

The overall scope of a criminal lawyer extensively includes trial, bail hearings, revocation hearings, post-conviction resolutions and appeals. This also includes certain pleas representing the accused in a court of law. The work and responsibilities of a criminal lawyer are to build a very strong defence & develop an effective case strategy. He holds the responsibility of drafting, filing & arguing on the behalf of the accused. A criminal lawyer’s work also involves effectively negotiating with the opposition or prosecution to plea at lesser costs. A criminal lawyer is also responsible for representing the accused at the various appellate stages whenever required. The criminal lawyers have excellent written and oral advocacy skills for arguing with the opposition in front of the court for persuading a jury. Criminal lawyers also possess research & investigative skills which are all crucial in building the cases for the clients & establishing a very strong defence. A professional criminal lawyer is hired by an accused of protecting all his rights and if he does not engage one then the accused can unknowingly waive his rights against his own interests.

In a similar manner, there is a criminal lawyer or prosecutor who is responsible for bringing a case against an accused person in a criminal trial. The burden of proof initially rests on the prosecutor who must prove that the opposite party is guilty beyond a certain doubt. This is all because a particular criminal offender is always taken to be innocent unless proven guilty by the court of law. So, in brief, the job duties of a criminal lawyer also include meeting the clients, discussing the case with them, examining the complainants or witnesses, interacting with the public prosecutor or district attorney and the police team, researching the case law & appearing in the court of law on the client’s behalf.

Conclusion:

A criminal lawyer has a lot of responsibilities and plays an integral role in protecting the rights of their clients in a wide number of criminal cases. One should always preferably choose a qualified criminal lawyer with a proven track record.