Criminal defense lawyer

A criminal defence lawyer is a lawyer (usually a barrister) who specialises in the defence of persons and businesses that have been accused of engaging in illegal behaviour. Some criminal defence attorneys are hired on a private basis, while others are recruited by the different jurisdictions having criminal courts for the purpose of appointing them to represent impoverished defendants; these latter attorneys are referred to as public defenders. Although the language is vague, this is due to the fact that each jurisdiction may have its own procedures, with varying degrees of involvement from state and federal legislation or consent decrees. Judges in certain jurisdictions employ a revolving system of appointments, with each case being assigned to a private practise attorney or law firm by the judge in charge.

Criminal defence attorneys in the United States deal with the challenges that arise from an arrest, a criminal investigation, criminal charges, sentence, appeals, and post-trial concerns, amongst other things. A criminal defence attorney may choose to specialise in a particular area of the law, such as drug defence or DUI defence. Workers in this field might be employed by the municipal, state, and federal governments as well as by private legal companies. Lawyers for the defence might potentially establish their own practise and handle a large number of criminal cases at the same time.

In the simplest terms, an arrest occurs when a police officer, federal agent, or court thinks that there is reasonable cause to suspect that a person has committed a crime. Because an arrest is often made by law enforcement, it is common for the arrest to be made on a criminal charge that has not been filed or validated by an attorney or a court of justice. Criminal defence attorneys are likewise concerned with the substantive aspects of the offences for which their clients are being prosecuted. Criminal defence attorneys may also assist clients before charges have been filed by a prosecuting attorney: this is done when a person feels he or she is being investigated by the authorities.

Defendants may retain the services of a criminal defence attorney to assist them in obtaining counsel and representation when dealing with police or other investigators, conducting their own investigations, and trying to present exculpatory evidence which may disallow them from facing criminal charges from the prosecutor. Legal counsel for criminal defendants in the United States who are engaged by governmental entities such as county or individual states, or the federal government, are referred to as "public defenders" or "court-appointed attorneys" in certain circles.