A criminal defence attorney could also be contacted directly by the defendant or could also be assigned the case by the court. Many criminal defence lawyers are public defenders who are paid by the general public defender’s office. Federal Criminal Defense Attorney is used for taking up criminal defence cases. They are appointed cases by local, state or federal courts. Other criminal defence lawyers are hired by private firms. Some criminal defence lawyers have an independent legal office that they man themselves. Public defenders tend to be paid a lower salary than private lawyers and also tend to possess a better workload thanks to the referral process and therefore the pay coming from individuals other than defendants. In some cases, a court may appoint a personal lawyer to require a selected case.
Interview about the Case
Once the criminal defence attorney has the chance to satisfy personally with the client, he or she should attempt to get as many details about the case as possible. By asking specific questions about the case, he or she can learn about possible defences and strengths and weaknesses about the case. This requires a careful and thorough questioning of the defendant.
An investigation into the Case
In addition to asking the criminal defendant pointed questions on the case, he or she must further investigate the case to work out any possible avenues of acquitting the defendant. This often includes questioning police about the procedures that they used in conjunction with the case. It may also include talking to witnesses who have information about the case and collecting information about the case. All of this information is used to try to build a strong defence for the case. If a witness is employed within the case, the criminal defence attorney may interview him or her about the testimony he or she may provide and therefore the evidence that may be presented in the case.
A criminal defence attorney has the proper to review the prosecution’s case before it’s submitted to the jury. This allows him or her to find any holes in the case against the defendant and to try to find evidence that may refute the prosecutor’s case, such as hiring an independent lab or expert to check evidence within the case.
Analysis of Evidence
Analyzing the evidence against a criminal defendant requires the criminal defence lawyer to carefully study the facts and theories of the case. He or she may have evidence independently tested. Additionally, he or she may examine the evidence to work out if there are any legal theories that employment against the conviction of his or her client.
Continued Contact with the Client
A criminal defence attorney must stay in touch together with his or her client to elucidate any developments within the case and to stay him or she informed about the case. The lawyer must make sure that conversations with the client are kept confidential. The lawyer must also ensure that he or she communicates information about the case to the client so that he or she has a better understanding of the possible consequences.
Jury Selection
A criminal defence attorney assists with the jury selection process. He or she may try to have jurors removed for cause if they may be biased against the defendant or even if he or she simply has a bad feeling about a potential juror.