When a person is arrested and charged with a crime, they will often seek the assistance of a criminal defense lawyer. Some people are afraid to talk to a criminal defense lawyer if they know that they are in fact guilty of something, even if it is not the exact crime that they are being accused of. Still, they will speak to an attorney because they prefer not to face punishment or minimize it.
A person who is looking to hire a criminal defense lawyer in Ponte Vedra may wonder if their lawyer thinks they committed the crime and if their lawyer’s opinion of their guilt or innocence will impact the lawyer’s ability to defend them in front of a jury. These questions should not be of major concern because if an attorney takes their legal responsibilities seriously, they are able to mount a serious defense in their client’s favor, regardless of their opinion.
A person may wonder, how can a criminal defense lawyer in Ponte Vedra defend someone if they feel that their client is guilty? There is a difference between legal guilt and factual guilt. Also, lawyers are legally responsible to give their clients the best defense possible. In a trial, a lawyer’s responsibility is to defend their client against the charges that they are being accused of. Their goal is to raise doubt about their client’s guilt. It is the responsibility of the prosecutor to prove that a person is guilty of the crime they are being charged off.
