The profession of law is an age-old vocation that is considered to be among the noblest of occupations along with medicine and education. A lot of people aspire to be lawyers as they are seen to be upholders of the law, but also because it is also deemed as a very lucrative job. This is especially true particularly in a subspecialty of the profession which is criminal defense. Because of the emotional, psychological, and moral risks that a criminal defense attorney faces, they are believed to receive a higher than average salary.

Criminal Defense

Criminal defense is basically a branch of law that deals with crimes, and it is the job of the criminal defense attorney to represent parties who are accused of crimes to prevent their conviction and avoid dreaded the dreaded punishments that are imposed by law on criminal acts. The job of the criminal defense attorney is a difficult one because in his hand the responsibility of handling sensitive matters. Defending a crime is not an easy thing to do. It is not like defending a tort, where the accused offense is committed only against an individual. With a crime, the wrong is against the general public. Thus, defense lawyer faces not only a victim, but the entire community. For the average people the challenge of criminal defense might be enough motivation to pursue such a profession, however, a lot also go with it because of the promise of having a large salary.

Criminal Defense Procedure

The average criminal case through the country basically undergoes the same procedure. The individual or group suspected of a crime is arrested by the police. Serious cases are presented to the grand jury which would decide whether or not there is enough evidence to pursue a trial. Even this is not yet the trial itself, the criminal attorney has an important role at this stage because there is a chance for the accused to be discharged at this point, and that could be a great development. While the decision of the jury has not yet been passed, the attorney could work for the release of the accused party on bail. Should the jury decide that the evidence is enough to pursue the case, a trial will be called for. This is part where criminal defense attorneys really work for their salary. The trial will either be by jury or before a lone judge, if the jury is not really needed or if consent is given by the defendant.

The trial will be done either by jury or before a lone judge if there is no need for a jury or if the defendant consent approves. First the government would present its case through a district attorney, otherwise known as a public prosecutor. The district attorney would prove that the accusations in the indication are true. The defense attorney however would prove that the defendant is not guilty. This is what most courtroom dramas portray apart from showing the lawyer’s comfortable life due to an implied gargantuan salary. But the job of the criminal defense attorney is not all fame and glory. It takes a better-than-average critical mind to know what to do or what to say, and to come up with a sound strategy to uphold his client’s innocence. A great moral burden is placed over the criminal defense attorney because there are indeed chances that suspect he is defending is actually guilty, and no matter what happens, it is duty to prove that the suspect is innocent. This is not something that the average person can do.

The law is a very difficult profession but for some people, its perks – having a large salary and earning great respect, are enough to pursue such a career. But apart from the benefits what is important is having passion for it.

By: Kevin Mitzner

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