How Honest Should I Be with My Lawyer About My Conviction?
Being charged with a crime can be a confusing and challenging process. The accused is faced with many tough choices. One such decision is whether to divulge everything they know about the crime in question. The Law Offices of Robert J. Fuschino Jr., a criminal defense firm based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, can help you understand how honest the accused party should be under these circumstances.
Necessary Discussions
The only way even the most experienced and successful Philadelphia criminal attorney can help their client either beat the charges against them or face less serious penalties if for said legal professional to have enough information to formulate some type of defense strategy. The client and lawyer must, at the very least, discuss the basic facts of the case in question.
Important Considerations
There are specific circumstances in which a client can withhold at least a small amount of information. Such instances include:
Detailed Specifics About Their Role
A certain percentage of defense attorneys actually prefer not knowing the intimate details of a client’s involvement in a specific crime. Sometimes, too much information can prove significantly detrimental to a lawyer’s ability to try the case. For example, if a client admits guilt or provides specific details of the act, the attorney is bound by the legal mandates established by the American Bar Association not to introduce evidence they know is false. In essence, defending a client an attorney knows possesses first-hand knowledge of what actually happened enables the client to commit perjury, which is the deliberate rendering of false testimony.
The Lawyer’s Role
A guilty admission does not necessarily mean a case cannot proceed to trial or that it is guaranteed that the alleged perpetrator will have the proverbial book thrown at them. However, it does mean that the legal professional in question will be required to alter their defensive strategy by employing measures such as investigating the possibility of law enforcement errors or misconduct or attempting to raise questions about the prosecution’s case.
The intended goal of most criminal lawyers is to, at the bare minimum, prevent their client from receiving the worst possible fate. An immediate admonition of guilt might encourage a prosecuting attorney to accept a plea deal, which might yield the accused less incarceration time, the possibility for earlier parole or other less harsh penalties that might pertain to their case.
Contacting Us
If you have been charged with a crime, our team of experienced legal professionals encourages you to contact us. We can review your case and might be able to help.