In the legal system there are several parties to a case. On one hand lies the accused and on the other the accuser. These are known as the defense and prosecution respectively. At the centre of it all are the judge and jury. These are the people to whom facts of a case are presented. They evaluate both sides of the story before arriving at a decision. A criminal lawyer helps defend persons that have been accused of a crime.
Members of the jury are drawn from a cross section of people. Some are teachers, ordinary residents, doctors you name it. They are usually an odd number. The presiding judge may give them guidance from time to time. In the court proceedings, criminal lawyer Cleveland personnel present witnesses and arguments to try and show that the accused person is innocent. Besides arguing out cases in court, here’s what lawyers do.
- A criminal lawyer evaluates police investigation reports. He or she will look at statements given by the respective witnesses. Based on these, the lawyer then uses legal knowledge to come up with defense mechanisms. Both defense and prosecution lawyers use the same approach albeit from different sides.
- After the evaluation of police reports and witness statements, the criminal lawyer develops arguments. He or she prepares a set of evidence to counter the accusations. If working for the prosecution, the lawyer gathers more evidence. New witnesses may be sought to strengthen the case.
- During trial, criminal lawyer Cleveland working in the district attorney’s office assists with the preparation of evidence. He or she discusses different elements of the case in order to come up with an approach. At times the lawyer may be requested to lead the prosecution of a case.
- As a criminal lawyer, it is your responsibility to conclude whether a case should go to trial or not. If so, you are supposed to gather enough evidence. You should bear in mind that your colleagues are also preparing their defense. Criminal lawyers work in the interest of the public. They are expected to help aggrieved persons get the justice they are seeking for.
- Not all cases warrant going to court. Criminal lawyers can recommend the pursuit of alternative programs to help accused persons stay away from crime. Communities stand to benefit from suspects made to undertake community work. It may save the government a lot of tax payers money. In some situations, imprisonment may not necessarily rehabilitate suspects. It is the responsibility of the prosecution lawyer to determine the cases that are fit for such programs.
- As a representative of the public prosecutor, such lawyers may also arrange for pleas to be taken. A number of factors are taken into consideration thus bringing a case to a suitable conclusion.
