Published by Programme B
When it comes to the criminal justice system, there are going to be many different people involved who are all going to have a completely different, and very specific role. For example, it is going to be the prosecutor’s goal to try and enforce the laws, as they are going to be doing their best to get offenders convicted, meaning that they will be sentenced the appropriate penalties, whatever those may be.
Another example is going to be a judge. The judge is going to be the one decision-maker who will listen to everything that has transpired, look at any evidence that there may be, and then make a decision based on that. Finally, criminal defense attorneys are going to be the one person who is on the side of the defendant, trying to help protect their rights.
What are Your Rights
With that being said, all of the defendants within the United States criminal system (which includes DUI) are going to have some very important rights when it comes to DUI crimes in Nashville. Those are going to include:
- Not being subject to any kind of unreasonable searches and seizures
- The right to remain silent
- Having a reasonable bail
- Protection against double jeopardy
- Having a speedy trial
- Having a jury trial (however, not all charges are going to need one)
- The ability to examine any witnesses
- Not being subject to any kind of cruel or unusual punishment
- You are presumed innocent until proven guilty
Along with all of these rights, as a defendant, you are also going to have the right to have the proper legal representation, as stated in the United States Constitution, under the Sixth Amendment. While you are not going to be required to have any type of defense attorney, you cannot be denied your right to have the proper representation present if you do decide to invoke this right. If you are unable to pay out of pocket for a defense attorney, you will be provided one by the government, who is also referred to as a public defender.
Important of a Criminal Defense Attorney
If you do find yourself in some type of legal trouble, a defense attorney is going to serve several different purposes, ultimately boosting your chances of overcoming the charges that have been brought against you. They are going to do everything within their power to make sure that you are not wrongfully convicted or have some excessive punishment imposed upon you. With that being said, your defense attorney is also going to be doing a whole lot before your case comes to an end. When you have a defense attorney on your side, you can expect them to:
- Be present during any type of interrogations or interviews
- Get your bail amount reduced
- Sharing with you what options you have in terms of pleading guilty or not
- Interviewing any witnesses that may be involved, as well as gather evidence
- Examine all of the circumstances of the case looking for any kind of rights violations
- Represent you at trial
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