Been charged with a crime? Every person, under the United States Constitution, has the legal right to an attorney to represent them in the criminal court where the case will be heard. A defendant’s attorney is also known as a Criminal Defense attorney because their job is to legally defend their client against the state’s charges. 

Many criminal lawyers will handle criminal cases and other types of cases. Patrick Conway Law specializes in criminal defense in many different types of cases including, OUI, firearms charges, violent crimes, domestic violence, drug charges, and probation charges, along with many others. 

Let’s take a look at what a criminal defense is and how it can expertly guide, support, and represent a client during a criminal case.

hands behind back about to be handcuffed with bag of white pills on a bag

What Is a Criminal Attorney? 

In a criminal case, there are two sides to the legal matter. There is the prosecuting lawyer, often the district attorney or an assistant district attorney whose job it is to represent the plaintiff (the local, state, or federal government), and then there is the criminal attorney or defense attorney, whose mission is to defend the person being charged in the criminal case. 

Criminal defense attorneys specialize in defending individuals, organizations, and entities charged with crimes. They represent defendants in the state, federal and appellate courts. 

The Role of A Criminal Defense Attorney 

The ultimate goal of a criminal defense attorney is to represent his client in criminal cases to the fullest extent of the law in order for the accused defendant to receive justice under the law. 

Some of the tasks performed by a criminal attorney include:

  • Interviewing the client and the witnesses to gather facts and testimony to support the criminal defense strategy.
  • Helping the client understand the legal options and consequences related to each option.
  • Performing legal research to set up a defense and a case theory.  
  • Gathering evidence and testimony in support of their case and analyzing the evidence presented against the client.  
  • Drafting, filing, and arguing motions on behalf of the client. 
  • Gathering expert witnesses to testify in court should that be necessary.
  • Discussing and negotiating a potential plea bargain with the prosecution. 

Why a Criminal Defender? 

should you be charged with a crime, it is important that you have representation that will help you win your case. A criminal defense attorney often has specialty training and experience in criminal procedure and can make the best case for their client with their knowledge of the law as well as their experience in previous cases. 

A criminal defender is tasked with knowing and applying statute law, case law, and the rules of criminal procedure specific to the crime the client is charged with, among many other factors, to ensure that the rights of a defendant are preserved under the law. Call us for a free consultation regarding your case.