Defense Lawyers Quotes

The criminal defense attorney is misunderstood if not despised by most of society. It doesn't matter if we believe in our adversarial system and the ideal that everyone charged with a crime is entitled to a vigorous defense. Ideals give away to reality - defense lawyers working loopholes and angles to get their clients off.

There's nothing wrong with crooks having lawyers. Everyone is entitled to a lawyer.

I think lawyers have a fidelity to the system itself that's always got to be with them, and indeed, most of the defense lawyers I know observe that.

Publicly, defense lawyers cling to the text book theory that the defendant has no burden of proof and that no negative inference should ever be taken when a defendant doesn't defend himself on the witness stand.

Around the courthouse when defense lawyers are chatting about their cases, the only question they ask each other is can you put your guy on the stand? Those conversations always assume the defendant is guilty. The question is just about the degree of difficulty in presenting a defense.

Imagine a legal system in which lawyers were equated with the clients they defended and were condemned for representing controversial or despised clients.

Defense lawyers try to find the humanity in the people they represent, no matter what they may have done. We resist the phrase “those people” because it suggests too clear a line between us and them.

Lawyers claim that their clients have been grossly mistreated, which is what criminal defense lawyers are paid to do.