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When Criminal Defense Influences Family Law
There are at least ten thousand jokes circulating about
lawyers and many of them are about the criminal defense
end of things. I expect that you have heard many of
them.
I have been asked by many how I can choose to represent
someone that is clearly guilty.
The question you might ask yourself, is how "clear" is
clearly"?
The Truth
There are many reasons that attorneys give for their
choice of career. Some of these reasons: l) to help
others. 2) to make a lot of money. 3) to see that
justice is done
(because they once knew someone who was involved in the
legal system and didn't get justice in their opinion).
The criminal attorney often answers this question by
stating that he or she chose this division of the law
"because everyone is entitled to a defense."
"Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty."
This statement forms the basis of our criminal system.
And yet, few people believe it.
The O. J. Simpson case is an example of what I am
explaining. Even after a trial of one year and a "not
guilty" verdict, a large percentage of the population
consider that he is in fact guilty. And he may be.
However, the main reason that it is crucial for criminal
defense lawyers to do what they do
is because every defendant deserves a defense.
When This Issue may Mean You
or Yours
When "like" turns to "dislike" or adolescents step over
the line, you may get a call from someone you love who
has been arrested. Or, you may get a call from that
person's relative asking for financial help to hire an
attorney.
Anyone can be arrested and accused of a crime.
Suddenly, someone who says that "only BAD people get
arrested" and they will never need the services of a
criminal attorney gets such a call.
Remember, "innocent until proven guilty" and be thankful
that there are lawyers ready and willing to protect YOUR
rights!
Did You Know? The majority of crimes involving violent
behavior occur between family members?
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