What a Franklin Defense Attorney Can Do for You?

The world of criminal justice is just like a wild jungle in which the criminal attorney or the defense attorney plays the prime role of the defendant’s protector, confidant, and guide. When it comes to defense attorneys, they are normally classified as private attorneys paid directly by the defendant and court-appointed attorneys paid directly by the government.

The latter are those criminal attorneys who usually represent defendants who fail to afford their own attorneys. This comprises of almost 80% of all the criminal attorneys put together. They are normally either penal attorneys or local attorneys who are chosen from a panel or public defenders who are on a specific government salary. Around 2% of the criminal defendants represent themselves and are usually referred to as “pro per” or “pro se” defendants.

What Does A Criminal Lawyer Normally Do?

It is usually seen that a Franklin defense attorney researches different fact, tries to negotiate deals with prosecutors and investigates a case against their own clients. The deals that defense lawyers make with prosecutors usually include reduced charges, reduces bail, and even reduced sentences. There are several external factors that have made deal making between a prosecutor and a defense criminal attorney rather important. It has also become an essential element in the unclogging process of the criminal justice system. These factors include overcrowded jails. Public and political pressure, and overloaded court calendars.

Amongst its other duties, criminal defense attorneys also have to examine the different witnesses, assist in the formulation of a plea assess the possible sentence, analyze and scrutinize the prosecutor’s case, gather evidence, question witnesses, and review search and seizure processes. Defense attorneys also provide various types of personal services such as making a defendant well aware about the possible outcomes of a case and assist the defendant in dealing with the humiliations, fears, and frustrations that may result from getting entangled in the dirty criminal justice system.

Importance of the Money Factor

When it comes to the legal representation, a major factor that plays a crucial role is the financial status of the defendant. This basically means whether the accused is indigent or cannot afford a counsel. It is needless to say that indigent defendants are entitled to get a court-appointed counsel. On the other hand, there are some defendants who are financially stable enough to afford a criminal defense lawyer. However, for those who fall in-between these two categories of defendants, arranging a legal representative is not often that simple and straightforward.

The bottom line is that, the right to a government-paid defense counsel normally applies whenever an indigent defendant faces a prison or jail sentence. If there isn’t any chance of incarceration, such as when a judge states on the record that a defendant will not be sentenced to a jail time, then the accused may not be able to enjoy a free or government-paid counsel. This obviously depends upon the state law in which a trial is being held. It is important for you to understand that the right to a free representation does not signify the right to a lawyer of your choice.