If you have committed a crime—or perhaps more importantly if you have been accused of a crime you did not commit—the roles and responsibilities performed by a criminal defense attorney are of great value to you.

The primary role of a criminal defense attorney is to defend the rights of individuals.  If you have been accused of a crime, the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees you certain rights.  The Sixth Amendment reads as follows:

“In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.”

The Sixth Amendment in summary guarantees that those accused of a crime will be tried for that crime relatively quickly and in a manner that is not done in secret; the verdict in the trial will be decided by a jury that is not biased against the defendant; the defendant will have the crime he is charged with explained to him and be aware of who is accusing him of the crime; and the defendant will have a criminal defense attorney provide a defense using witnesses to support his case.

Even though it is not a right formally established in the Sixth Amendment, if you are accused of a crime, all parties involved in the case—the police, the prosecution, and the court—should treat you with the presumption of innocence.  The presumption of innocence means that you must be treated as though you are innocent of the crime until it is proven in court that you are guilty or you confess to the crime.  A criminal defense attorney has the responsibility to defend the right of presumption of innocence for their clients.

A criminal defense attorney will perform their responsibilities of defending your rights throughout all phases of a criminal case.  This defense of your rights starts as soon as you are being investigated for a crime.  A criminal defense attorney will also be there to help you if you are arrested, while you are in jail or out on bail while you are awaiting trial, during the trial itself, and during the sentencing phase if you are found guilty of a crime.

Obtaining help from a criminal defense lawyer

If you believe you may need help from a criminal defense lawyer or you just want to ask questions about your situation of an attorney, you can complete the short form found at http://www.criminaldefensehome.com/eval_bar.php and a criminal defense lawyer will contact you.  You can speak with a criminal defense lawyer if you simply have questions about your case, if you believe your rights guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment have been violated, or if you want to hire a lawyer to represent you in a case.

The initial discussion with a criminal defense lawyer is free of charge, completely confidential, and does not obligate you to anything further.  Please therefore make the most of this opportunity to get help related to your criminal case.

Related articles

• When is the best time to hire a criminal defense attorney? (criminaldefensehome.com)
• Criminal cases and seeking an appeal (criminaldefensehome.com)
• Why should I hire a criminal defense attorney? (criminaldefensehome.com)
• Do I have to hire a lawyer if I am accused of a crime? What may happen if I do not? (criminaldefensehome.com)
• What is the role of the prosecuting attorney in a criminal trial? (criminaldefensehome.com)

by Mark Johnston

• More Posts