Criminal Justice Attorneys

A criminal justice attorney is a lawyer who works directly with people charged with crimes. If you’re their client, they’ll help you build up the best defense possible against the charges brought by the state.

When you find yourself facing a criminal case, the state acts as the prosecution and brings the charges against you if they believe you broke a law. The federal government also comes in as the prosecution if the case falls under its authority.

If you’ve been charged with a crime, you still have a constitutional right to have a lawyer represent you in court. On top of that, the prosecution has to prove that every single part of the crime “beyond a reasonable doubt” before you can be convicted.

Remember that each state has its own criminal laws, so the exact laws you need to follow vary depending on where you’re living. Still every state’s criminal code makes it very clear that you can’t be found guilty unless the prosecution proves each part of the alleged crime beyond a reasonable doubt.

You’ll work with either a criminal defense lawyer or a prosecutor, depending on your position in the case.

Here’s how things play out in a common case – If you’re suspected of a crime then you’ll be formally charged under either state or federal law at the beginning. After that, then you’ll get arrested and brought before a judge for an arraignment, where you’ll hear the charges against you. Next, you’ll attend a preliminary hearing and the court will hear any pretrial motions to determine if the case should move forward.

If your case heads to trial, either a judge or a jury will listen to both sides and determine whether you’re guilty or not guilty. If you’re found guilty then you’ll move on to sentencing – the penalties are decided. After the sentencing, you have the right to appeal your case or your sentence to a higher court.

What Does a Criminal Prosecutor Do?

A criminal prosecutor always carries the burden of proof. They need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant actually committed the crime before there can ever be a conviction – this comes from the basic idea that anyone who’s accused of a crime is considered innocent until proven guilty.

A prosecutor typically comes in once there’s a suspect and when the government is ready to file the formal charges.

So what does a prosecutor actually do? Their day-to-day work involves reviewing police reports and deciding if there’s enough reason to bring charges in the first place. They review the facts of each case to see if the evidence backs up those charges. Sometimes they also need to conclude whether it makes sense to allow a plea deal between the accused person and their attorney. The job requires them to interview witnesses. When the trial happens, the prosecutor represents the state in court by presenting the evidence in front of the judge or jury. If the defendant is found guilty, the prosecutor stays involved during the sentencing part of the trial as well.

As you can see, the prosecutor takes on plenty of different responsibilities to act on behalf of the government when someone is suspected of breaking the law.

What Is a Criminal Justice Attorney?

A criminal justice attorney helps the people who have been accused of a crime by defending them in court. When you hire a criminal defense attorney, that person provides all your legal advice, counsels you through the decisions, and stands by your side from start to finish through your criminal case.

You can choose and pay for your own criminal defense attorney or a court can appoint one for you if you can’t afford to hire one yourself. Either way, you have the right to an attorney. Criminal defense attorneys get involved pretty early on in the process. As another example, they step in before any official charges are even filed and they could be right there while the police are questioning you. That way, you have some support and input.

You’ll also find that a defense attorney helps you out during the police interrogations, the early phases of your case, and through any of the upcoming legal steps. They might help you to assert legal defenses or work with the prosecutor to try and reach a plea deal. That plea deal could get your sentence reduced or even get the charges against you dropped. Your attorney will also review the evidence, look into the law, interview the witnesses (missing comma) and do everything possible to build up a strong case on your behalf.

Once your case gets to the court, your defense attorney is there to argue in your favor during the trial. Even after the trial is over they can help you out. They’ll try to arrange a sentence like probation or parole instead of more jail time for you. They’ll even look into appealing your conviction or your sentence, if the option is available to you.

It’s pretty clear that a criminal defense attorney sticks with you through things. They’re with you before the formal charges and during your trial. They help you after your case with problems like parole or probation. Probation is when someone who’s been convicted of a crime can avoid going to jail as long as they follow rules. Parole works a little differently. It’s something that happens after a person has already served part of a jail sentence and is then given a chance to finish the rest of it outside of jail under certain conditions.

What Are Some Common Criminal Legal Issues?

State prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys work on all kinds of criminal legal matters. In any criminal case, the prosecutor has to prove that the defendant is guilty and they need to convince the jury or judge beyond a reasonable doubt.

You’re starting from the idea that the person accused of a crime is innocent unless the prosecution can show otherwise.
A defense attorney’s main role is to build a strong legal defense and to call out any of the weak points in the state’s case. A quick example, a defense attorney might show that the prosecutor can’t prove every single part of the crime.
If the state can’t meet this high standard, then the charges against the defendant should be dropped.

Do I Need a Criminal Justice Lawyer?

When you or someone close to you might have a criminal charge, you’ll want to talk to a knowledgeable criminal justice lawyer.

If you have a good lawyer by your side, it can make it easier for you to create a strong defense and avoid the punishments that come with a charge like this.

If you’re the victim in a case, a criminal prosecutor helps you through the process of filing the charges and works to make sure that the person responsible is held accountable.

Some victims also choose to work alongside private prosecutors so they can press criminal charges and move forward with a civil lawsuit to recover the damages they experienced.