A criminal lawyer specializes in defending people who are accused of criminal offenses. These criminal offenses can range in severity from a simple felony to murder. For this reason, their work must be carried out with great attention and professionalism, since a person's freedom and/or finances are at stake, and an unfavorable result can have long-term, life-changing consequences for the accused person.

What does a criminal lawyer do?

The job of a criminal defense attorney in New Brunswick or anywhere else is complicated and involves many steps. These include:

Assignment: The first step is to have a case assigned to a criminal lawyer. This can happen because the defendant contacts a law firm directly, or because the court assigns them a public attorney.

Interview: The criminal lawyer should meet with the client and gather as much information as possible about the case to make sure they represent the client's interests in the best possible way.

Investigation: A criminal defense attorney must also conduct a detailed investigation of each aspect of the case to develop a strong defense strategy. They may interview the police, speak to witnesses, and conduct forensic tests on the evidence.

Consultation with the client: The lawyer must remain in constant communication with the client. It is the only way to keep the client informed about the case, but it is also the only way that the attorney can obtain additional information on the circumstances of the case.

Negotiation of guilty plea: During the case process, the criminal lawyer’s job is to negotiate the possible plea bargain for the client. Sometimes it is better to secure a deal than to go to court.

Trial: Criminal defense attorneys are present in the courtroom at all times to represent their client's cases to the best of their ability and fight for their clients' freedom.

A criminal lawyer also has an ethical duty of confidentiality. Like many other professionals, lawyers must not reveal, by any means or form, any type of information that they may have learned by virtue of the professional relationship that binds them to their clients.

If you would like to learn more or get expert legal advice from experienced New Brunswick NJ criminal defense lawyers, please get in touch with the law offices of Jonathan F. Marshall.