Confronting Ethical Issues Facing Criminal Lawyers

by John Fostar Media Releation

In today’s criminal justice space, the public has peculiar conception of criminal defense attorneys.

Several top Maryland criminal lawyers attorneys confess that people tend to question the rationale of their role while defending individuals charged with crime.

“We are subjected to extreme criticism when we defend a person who has a palpable record of committing crime”.

The criticism goes a notch up when the attorney is successful and the defendant goes scot free.

The public may even go to the extent of believing the lawyers are almost akin to criminals themselves.

Sadly, such perceptions, even though spontaneous, are off tangent.

People must understand that the accused has a right for defence by all lawful means.

The guiding principle of all criminal trials is that the accused is entitled to be free from punishment until he or she is proved beyond any doubt to be guilty.

In other words, criminal lawyers in Largo insist that it is the state’s burden to prove that the allegations against the accused are true and to provide undisputable proof in accordance with the rules of evidence.

But isn’t it proper that a lawyer must decline to undertake defense of a person whom he knows is guilty?

This certainly is a very contentious question.

Here is an interesting response to this question by a top Maryland criminal attorney.

“The public must understand that the prosecution has a double duty. In addition to making a case for the state, it must also come forth with facts that may support the innocence of the accused. It is in this context our role is vital”.

Truly speaking, guilt is a legal concept. It is not a subjective perception concocted by a lawyer or as visualized by the public. Until the guilt is proved in the court, the accused is entitled to all the safeguards afforded by the law of the land.

“We are merely performing in accordance with an oath that we must uphold the constitution and the laws of the land”, say top Maryland criminal lawyers attorneys.

To deny a person the assistance of defense is to refuse him or her rights and privileges as a citizen.

It is all about providing a fair trial and due process of law.

But there is another side of the story as well.

It is the moral dilemma an attorney can face when they must decide what makes more sense; representing the accused and getting handsomely paid or choosing a different case.

By presenting a case in a skillful manner, the accused can be set free. This can have negative consequences on the safety and wellbeing of the society as a whole.

Nevertheless, we must keep in the mind that justice meted out is, by and large, fair.

The attorney must not feel reluctance on moral grounds to undertake defense an accused. Instead, the criminal lawyer should carry out the task in a spirit of service to the legal profession and to the citizens of the country.

Resource Box

The law Office of Rowena N. Nelson is among the top lawyer firms in Maryland. This Law Firm provides a wide range of legal services including in bankruptcy law, criminal law, and family law.