a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
defense attorney n. 1) the attorney representing the defendant in a lawsuit or criminal prosecution. 2) a lawyer who regularly represents defendants who have insurance and who is chosen by the insurance company. 3) a lawyer who regularly represents criminal defendants.
Define defense-lawyer. Defense-lawyer as a noun means Defense attorney. .
Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word DEFENSE LAWYER. Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: defense attorney, defense lawyernoun the lawyer representing the defendant Matched Categories Law Lawyer How to pronounce DEFENSE LAWYER? Alex US English Daniel British Karen Australian Veena Indian
2) a lawyer who regularly represents defendants who have insurance and who is chosen by the insurance company. 3) a lawyer who regularly represents criminal defendants.
The National Safety Court considers a number of criminal cases
In addition to asking the criminal defendant pointed questions about the case, he or she must further investigate the case to determine 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 defense for the case. If an expert witness is used in the case, the criminal defense lawyer may interview him or her about the testimony he or she may provide and the evidence that may be presented in case.
If the criminal defendant is sentenced for the crime either because he or she accepted a plea bargain or was convicted by the judge or jury, a criminal defense lawyer can represent the defendant during the sente ncing phase. He or she may discuss factors that can help convince the judge or jury to limit the amount ...
Plea Bargaining. A criminal defense lawyer is also responsible for talking about the status of the case and negotiating with the prosecutor regarding any particular plea bargain. A criminal defense lawyer may be able to help secure a favorable deal for the defendant that results in a reduction of charges or the possible punishment.
The lawyer must ensure that conversations with the client is 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 .
Assignment of the Case. A criminal defense lawyer may be contacted directly by the defendant or may be assigned the case by the court. Many criminal defense lawyers are public defenders who are paid by the public defender’s office. They are appointed cases by local, state or federal courts.
Public defenders tend to be paid a lower salary than private lawyers and also tend to have a higher case load due to the referral process and the pay coming from individuals other than defendants. In some cases, a court may appoint a private lawyer to take a specific case.
A defense attorney’s primary role is to represent a defendant who has been accused of a crime or who have been charged with a criminal offense. If you represent an accused person, it is your main responsibility to make sure that the client that you have retained is afforded all of their protections as the law and constitutions written into criminal code provide. It is also your goal to help your client have the best outcome with their case based on the evidence that has been presented against them.
Before a defense attorney is retained, they will review their prospective clients case and discuss their strategy of defense. They will also give the accused advise to ensure that they do not damage their case before they go to trial.
After the arraignment, the attorney will receive the case file from the prosecutor and will begin to look for holes in the District Attorney’s case.
If you would like to be an attorney, it is important to learn what a defense attorney does so that you can decide if you would like to represent defendants who are facing different levels of criminal charges.
Once the attorney is retained, anyone charged with a crime will need to appear for an arraignment. At the arraignment, the charges will be read and the defendant or the attorney will enter their response.
Within the complex criminal justice system, a defense attorney serves as the defendant's guide, protector, and confidant. (At least that's how it's supposed to be.) Defense attorneys are usually grouped in two camps: court-appointed attorneys paid by the government and private attorneys paid by the defendant. ...
Defense counsel also provide more personal services by giving the defendant a reality check as to the possible outcomes and by helping the defendant to deal with the frustrations and fears resulting from being thrown into the criminal justice system. And of course, if no plea deal can be made, the defense lawyer represents the defendant at trial.
The judge is required to determine the defendant's competency. That's because a defendant who cannot provide a competent defense cannot get a fair shake, even if the defendant is adamant about not accepting the services of a court-appointed attorney.
When looking for a private defense attorney, look for an attorney who specializes in criminal defense and practices in the jurisdiction (city or county) where charges are pending. A local attorney will be familiar with the judges and prosecutors in that area. Learn more in our article on what to look for in a private criminal defense attorney. You can also find more information on our home page, www.criminaldefenselawyer.com.
For example, one study indicated that defendants represented by private counsel and public defenders fared similarly in conviction rates and sentencing (although those represented by panel attorneys fared worse). Such statistical evidence is not always reliable or clear because of complicating factors. For instance, clients represented by private counsel often have short or no prior criminal records, while indigent defendants are twice as likely to be repeat offenders. What is also unclear—and what creates one of the biggest uncertainties of the criminal justice system—is whether private attorneys can negotiate better plea deals than court-appointed counsel.
A huge factor when it comes to legal representation is the defendant's financial status and whether the defendant can afford private counsel.
These court-appointed attorneys are either public defenders who are on government salary, or they are so-called "panel attorneys," local attorneys chosen from a panel. A small fraction of criminal defendants (approximately two percent) represent themselves and are referred to as "pro se" or "pro per" defendants.
A criminal defense is a strategic argument that attempts to challenge the validity and sufficiency of the prosecution’s evidence. The prosecution, often referred to as the state, the people, or the United States for federal crimes, is the party trying to prove the criminal charges against you. The prosecution must prove ...
1. Innocence. One of the simplest defenses to criminal liability is the defense of innocence. This defense is raised when you did not commit the crime. Remember, the prosecution has to prove every element of the crime charged against you and prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. To be innocent you do not have to prove anything.
Defense-of-Others. Like self-defense, another defense involving justified use of force or violence is the defense-of-others defense. This may be used where the defendant used violence to protect someone else – a spouse, a child, another family member, or even a stranger.
The defense of self-defense may be raised for crimes like assault, battery, and murder, where the defendant used violence in a justified way to respond to violent actions or the threat of violent actions coming from the victim. The amount of force used by the defendant must be reasonable and proportionate (generally, the same or less) to the amount of force used by the victim.
The first is the insanity defense is another affirmative defense, which requires that the defendant prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he or she was suffering a severe mental disease or defect at the time the crime was committed.
Supportive evidence a defendant might offer includes testimony from someone he or she was with, surveillance footage, receipts from a restaurant, store, movie theater or sporting event, or phone records.
There are many common defenses to criminal charges. A defendant may argue that there are holes in the prosecution’s case, that evidence was gathered in violation of the defendant’s constitutional rights, that another individual committed the crime, that the defendant had a justifiable reason ...
In a stricter sense, defense is used to denote the answer made by the defendant to the plaintiff’s action, by demurrer or plea at law or answer in equity. This is the meaning of the term in Scotch law. Ersk. Inst. 4, 1, 66.
an affirmative defense may be pleaded to counter the allegations of the prosecution.
In old statutes and records, the term means prohibition; denial or refusal. Enconter le defense et le commandement de roy; against the prohibition and commandment of the king. St.’ Westm. 1, c. 1. Also a state of severalty, or of several or exclusive occupancy; a state of inclosure. Affidavit of defense.
Half defense was that which was made by the form, “defends the force and injury, and says,” (defendit vim et injuriam, et dicit.)