Certain defense attorneys are well established in the criminal courts. Some seem to get more not guilty verdicts, and when their clients are guilty, they seem to get better plea deals and sentences. They all have certain common characteristics. These are four that they all share and four that you should look for when researching new attorneys to represent you in your legal endeavors.
Credibility
Most courtrooms don’t have windows. If a respected criminal defense attorney tells you that it’s raining outside, then indeed it’s raining outside. Having represented thousands of clients for many years in front of the same judges and against the same prosecutors, these attorneys have developed reputations for being credible. They’re not going to jeopardize that reputation either. They still have thousands of cases in the future and their livelihood depends on this aspect.
Preparation
Knowing how the facts of each case interrelate between physical evidence and anticipated testimony is part of every defense of a criminal case. Each piece of physical evidence has been examined, all witness statements have been analyzed, and witnesses for the defense have been prepared and disclosed to the prosecution. The law requires full, complete and timely disclosure by both sides. This is to avoid trial by ambush. When a veteran criminal defense attorney is involved in a case, any surprises are few and far between. If and when surprises do arise in a courtroom, the seasoned criminal defense attorney knows how to think on their feet. Full and complete preparation makes thinking on one’s feet less complicated.
Criminal Procedure
The procedure involved in a criminal case from the time of arrest is vastly different than the procedure involved in a civil cases. Criminal procedure also varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and sometimes even judges make their own special rules that must be followed in their courtrooms. Criminal procedure is a road map of how the case is to proceed through different phases. It involves safeguards designed to protect an accused’s constitutional rights. Procedure continues from arrest through pretrial, trial, sentencing and appeal. The highly experienced defense attorneys know criminal procedure and its nuances.
Persistence
Courtrooms are arenas, and adversarial proceedings are held in them. There are times when a prosecutor will try to prevent a defense attorney from effectively representing their client. There are also times when even judges might do that. Prosecutors might withhold critical evidence that negates the accused’s guilt. Wrongful convictions can result from this tactic. An attorney, like the Keyser Defense Attorneys in Minnesota, must be doggedly persistent in obtaining all relevant evidence in a case. This kind of dedication can be the difference between a wrongful conviction and a not guilty verdict.
These are the four legs that every successful attorney bases the majority of their cases and careers on. You’ll see these four common threads in every case they’re involved in, no matter what their client is charged with or how much money they might have.
This article is from Meghan Belnap, blogger, researcher, and freelance writer.
Photo credit: freedigitalphotos.net
