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February 21, 2012

The Criminal Lawyer and the Innocent Client

By Kelly Greene

By far the most challenging client for a criminal lawyer is the innocent client. While our system states that all are innocent until proven guilty, the majority of people believe that if you are charged with a crime, you are probably guilty. It is the responsibility of the state to prove one guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the defendant does not have to testify in his own trial, and that a jury should not use his silence against him. Sadly, these fundamental principles in our judicial system are not always followed.

The significance of an effective defense lawyer ensures that we all are protected from a not-so-perfect system.

"A criminal lawyer is a person who loves other people more than he loves himself; he loves freedom more than the comfort of security; who is unafraid to fight for unpopular ideas or ideals; who is willing to stand next to the uneducated, the poor, the dirty, the suffering and even the mean, greedy and violent, and advocate for them not just in words, but in spirit; who is willing to stand up to the arrogant, mean spirited, caring and uncaring with courage, strength and patience and not be intimidated. Who bleeds a little when someone else goes to jail; who dies a little when tolerance and freedom suffer, and most important, a person who never loses hope that forgiveness and love will win in the end."  Joe Cheshire