Attorney Differences

[Orleander]

So can a district atty cover more than 1 town or is a town broken up to have several dist attys? (like NYC)

Hmm, and are attys like cops? Everyone hates them until they need them.

[acreature]

So can a district atty cover more than 1 town or is a town broken up to have several dist attys? (like NYC)

Hmm, and are attys like cops? Everyone hates them until they need them.

Its according to the State.... Here, in NC, our DA covers 6 Counties, and he has about 12 Asst DAs to prosecute for him.

I do not dislike all attys, just Defense Attorneys. Some of the Def Attys I do like, b/c they are honest. But most are self serving, and are only interested in getting their client off the charges.

If I were a Def Atty, and knew my client were Guilty, I couldn't in good conscience continue to find a typo, if you will, to get him off.

If a Doctor knew you were going to die from from some disease, he/she has a set of ethics codes that wouldn't allow them to string you along thinking you were going to live. He/She is bound to advise you on what you are facing.

I have always thought that I could just tell a client, you're guilty, lemme try to see what leniency I can get. Or I would just resign myself from the case b/c my conscience couldn't allow me to help him/her off the charges.

[oscarmitre]

Hmm, and are attys like cops? Everyone hates them until they need them.

In my experience cops hate them too, until they need them. When I was working for our Association we would accept applications for funding for legal assistance from our members and more than once when I interviewed applying members I was told quite forcefully that the member expected a QC (Queen's Counsel) or noted barristers who had reputations among the cops as fierce cross-examiners. When our members were successfully defended (which was 99% of the time) I noted that from them at least there was a different attitude towards lawyers.

[canuckofapeach]

All y'all can bite me, ok? :D

If you insist... :D

[MOCOP]

What's the difference between a catfish and an attorney?



Ones a bottom feeder, who lives on garbage and filth...................
The others a fish :D

[acreature]

As far as resigning from a case because a defendant is obviously guilty, you can't do that. The State Bar's ethical code prohibits that

Thats what I don't understand. I understand having the Ethical Code, but the code of defending a Guilty person to get out of a charge seems to go against Morality, IMO.

I also respect your trying to help your clients out, the Def Attys I really respect are those that come to try and work it out b/c they know as everyone else that the client is guilty. Obvious wrongful charges are the exception, but in my experiences those are usually when it's Citizen v. Citizen.

[MOCOP]

That's okay DC come ahead

BTW Do ya know any criminal attorneys?...............

Do ya know any who aren't :D

[txinvestigator1]

As one who has taken defense cases as an attorney (I was hungry, ok?) I have to point out that our legal system grants every accused the right to a fair trial. That means that the laws enacted by our legislature must be followed and the proceedures mandated by those laws must be adhered to. Yes, it sucks to see someone who is guilty "get off" because or a proceedural error, but if we don't uphold the high standards that our criminal justice system operates on, how trustworthy can/will it be? What will we "let slide" and where will we draw the line? If you were accused improperly of drunk driving based on an improperly-given test which give an inaccurate reading of your BAC, would you want them to shrug the impropriety off and convict you anyway? Come on now...

That said, all of my criminal cases save one involved me reviewing the arrest paperwork for mistakes and then going into the prosecutor's office and proposing a plea right out of the gate. When asked in one fairly serious case by a prosecuting attorney if I wasn't going to at least pretend that my client didn't commit the offense charged, I told him straight out: "You know he's guilty, I know he's guilty, HE knows he's guilty...let's just work out something that won't send him to jail and we'll agree to any fines, probation and community service that you want." This worked, and he got a plea offer that involved no jail time. Had we gone to trial and had he been found guilty, he'd have been eligible for some serious time and he'd undoubtedly have gotten some.

I've only taken one criminal case all the way to trial, and that's because the guy wasn't guilty and wasn't going to plead to anything and the prosecutor was insisting on jail time and forfieture of some valuable property. And in true DC Law fashion, I won that trial and my client walked free.

As far as resigning from a case because a defendant is obviously guilty, you can't do that. The State Bar's ethical code prohibits that. Once you take on a case, you cannot drop your client because you don't like him, or because he's out of money and can't pay you. You still have to go on unless the client is insisting on lying in open court or unless he and you cannot get along to such an extent that he wants you gone. The judge still has to grant a motion tro withdraw from a case, and about half the time they do not grant such a motion. And in some counties and some states, if you are taking on any kind of criminal work in the jurisdiction, the courts may assign indigent clients to you and you've no choice but to represent them, usually for a flat fee which is the same regardless of whether you arrive at a plea in ten minutes or go to full jury trial.
I gotta tell you...I welcomed those cases where I got a $500.00 payment from the court just to work out a plea deal for some no-job-having petty criminal. Those cases came in handy when I was hurting for other business.

Don't sweat it DC....I have taken on Criminal Defense cases as a PI. Sometimes the guy is dead guilty and the cops did a bang up job. Report the FACTS to the defense attorney and he can suggest that the person plea.

However, if the police did a shoddy or poor job, or if the evidence is weak I will gather evidence that our client is not guilty, and I have no problem tearing up a poor police investigation.

So do a good job guys. :D