The laws of New York state that a defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty. With this in mind, a tremendous burden is placed on the prosecutor to prove your guilt in relation to the offense you have been charged with. Additionally, as a citizen, you have a right to legal representation during the duration of the trial to make your case and defend you, and, if you can not afford the legal fees to pay for your own attorney the court has the responsibility to assign a lawyer for you free of charge – in other words pro bono.
Criminal law cases involve any crimes that cause severe harm to people and or damage to property. Some of the common cases include manslaughter, murder, arson, fraud, robbery, tax evasion, embezzlement, and much more. However, unlike other cases, those involving crimes can lead to punishments and defendants face serious time behind bars if found guilty and subsequently sentenced to incarceration.
This is the main reason why you should hire a criminal defense lawyer who is experienced in matters to do with your case. Additionally, unless you are competently experienced, defendants are advised not to represent themselves. A competent and experienced lawyer will have adequate knowledge to prove your innocence and thus increase the chances of getting better results at the end of the trial.
Another argument for hiring legal representation is that everything is done in the right manner. Consider this; there are numerous tasks to be handled to make your defense water-tight. Furthermore, every responsibility needs ultra-focus and attention to detail. For starters, in preparation for your defense, the defense team needs to collect evidence in support of your case. They also need to ensure the evidence is authentic and, importantly, relevant for your defense.
The lawyer also needs to determine the best way to present your evidence, all the while making sure they do not implicate you. Your witnesses also need to be prepared to exude confidence whenever they are asked to take to the witness stand. The opening and closing arguments also need to be prepared to ensure you win over members of the jury.
These are some of the pertinent tasks that you cannot handle all on your own, at least not when you have the intention of winning. You need the collective experience of a professional and competent team of lawyers and their support staff.