A person or an entity that is charged with a crime is called the defendant in the case at issue, the person or entity bringing the charge is the prosecution. Both sides of a criminal case have attorneys; the city of Santa Barbara, the criminal defense attorney is standing for the accused and the prosecution is standing for the grieved.
This type of defense lawyer is often simply referred to as a criminal defense lawyer. In the US justice system, the criminal lawyer represents the person or the entity that has been accused of criminal activity, he makes representations in court where the jury and judge will decide the fate of the defendant; which is either guilty or innocent.
In the city of Santa Barbara, criminal defense attorneys have a very deep and complete understanding of the law and exactly how the judicial system works. After many years of education and several years of experience the attorney can either be hired directly by the defendant or appointed to defend someone who cannot afford to hire a private attorney. The top criminal defense attorneys are very expensive to retain, an hourly fee of $300 or more is not considered out of line, the fee does not include the many extras that come into play in criminal proceedings.
The defendant and his criminal defense attorney Santa Barbara work hand-in-hand to develop the best way to negate the consequences of the illegal act the defendant may have been involved in. On the other hand, if the defendant is genuinely innocent, it is the attorney’s job to prove that fact, even though the accused is considered innocent until proven guilty.
If the accused is innocent and believes that there are no significant ramifications, it is the attorney’s job to explain the judicial process and the seriousness of the crime that he is charged with and the consequences of a guilty verdict. The attorney will often enter into a plea bargaining deal with the prosecuting attorney; the plea bargain is designed to reduce the jail time being faced by the defendant in exchange for a guilty plea. In the event the accused is a juvenile, the attorney will often assist in crafting a penalty that will keep the minor out of future trouble.
A criminal defense attorney in the city of Santa Barbara knows all there is to know about the local circuit court. The attorney will have built up a knowledge base which will assist him in knowing what approach will work with what judge in an attempt to keep the sentence down or even have the case dismissed. Defense attorneys know the most recent changes to the law, little known laws that may help his client are an important part of his ammunition when he goes into court. Anything lawful that can be used to either prove his client’s innocence or at least reduce the accusation can be of tremendous assistance when battling for his client.
