People who have been charged with a crime often have a hard time deciding whether or not they should admit their guilt to their criminal defense attorney. Will telling your attorney the truth hurt your case or should you always tell your attorney if you are guilty? Here’s what you need to know:
The Benefits of Telling Your Attorney the Truth
Some attorneys may not want to know whether their clients are innocent or guilty, while others will want to know right away. If your attorney asks, it’s strongly recommended that you tell him the truth.
Many defendants believe that an attorney will not try to fight for an acquittal if he knows that his client is guilty, but that’s not the case. An attorney’s job is to ensure his client gets a fair trial regardless of whether or not the client is innocent. There’s no reason to worry that your attorney will treat you differently or make less of an effort simply because he knows that you are guilty.
Knowing the truth about what happened can sometimes help an attorney create a better defense strategy. If an attorney does not know all of the details about the case, this could affect his ability to present a strong defense.
There’s also no reason to fear that an attorney will tell authorities if you admit to committing a crime. Attorney-client communications are confidential, so they cannot be shared with anyone without the client’s consent.
Code of Conduct
Every attorney must follow a code of conduct established by the American Bar Association. The rules of this code of conduct states that an attorney cannot lie to the court or fabricate evidence. However, the defense attorney can argue all reasonable inference drawn from the evidence or lack of evidence.
However, this doesn’t mean that an attorney cannot defend someone that he knows is guilty of committing a crime. Instead, it means that the attorney must focus on pointing out flaws in the prosecution’s case. If the attorney can convince the jury that the prosecution has not proved the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, the attorney may win an acquittal for a client that he knows is guilty without violating the code of conduct.
If you are facing criminal charges, seek legal representation from a criminal defense attorney at Reisch Law Firm. Everyone has the right to a fair trial, and it is our goal to protect this right for all of our clients. Schedule a free consultation today by calling 303-291-0555 or filling out this online form.
