What Does an Oklahoma Defense Lawyer Do?
If you have been charged with a crime, you may be thinking about whether you need to hire a defense lawyer. Many people have questions about what lawyers will do for their case. Defense lawyers work for you, investigate the facts behind the charges against you, determine the best defenses for your case, and argue your case in court.
Defense Lawyers Investigate Your Case
Criminal defense lawyers investigate the charges filed against their clients to determine important facts for their defense in court. For example, defense lawyers interview witnesses who were at the scene of an accident and talk to friends and family members. They may send samples to a laboratory for analysis, visit accident scenes or other important locations, and most importantly interview you about what happened. All of this fact-finding helps them develop alternative explanations of the series of events that led to your charges.
Defense Lawyers Research Legal Theories and Defenses
Investigation and fact finding also assisted with your defense lawyer’s next task, researching legal theories and defenses for you to assert in court. In criminal law, defendants have a number of ways to argue that they did not commit the crime. They can say that they did not fulfill all elements of the charged crime – for example, that they did not have the required intent to distribute a drug. They can argue that a Miranda warning was not given by the police or evidence was analyzed improperly. Or they can argue many other available defenses. It is the defense lawyer’s job to research these defenses so that he or she can assert them at the proper time and in the most effective way in court.
Defense Lawyers Argue Your Case in Court
A defense lawyer will be your advocate in the courtroom. He or she will speak to the judge on your behalf, argue for the most favorable rulings from the judge for you, and explain the criminal court process to you so that you can make the best decisions about your case. In doing so, your lawyer will use all of the information he or she has gathered through investigation and research. Your defense lawyer can speak to the prosecutor on your behalf to negotiate a plea bargain and can advocate for you at trial if you do not take a plea. In short, your criminal defense attorney is there to help you through the process and get the best result in your case.
To learn more about legal representation in criminal cases, seek out the DUI attorney who follows key changes in Oklahoma law to find the best defenses for his clients. Clint Patterson, Esq., of Patterson Law Firm, a former Tulsa prosecutor now using his trial experience and expert-level knowledge of DUI science to defend drivers, has the experience and the insight to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your case. To schedule a case evaluation, visit Patterson Law Firm online or call Clint’s office at (918) 550-9175.