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Who Wouldn't You Represent? | 29 comments (29 topical)

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I agree with you (none / 0) (#21)
by Just another person on Sat Mar 29, 2008 at 12:20:44 PM EST
that every person has the right to be defended in a court of law. But I can see where the lawyers' are coming from.

Defense attorneys are people - they carry with them their own biases and personal tastes and distastes. And if a DA doesn't feel he can objectively defend a pedophile or a mass murderer or a rapist then it is their duty to decline. If you can't be objective about a case, you're not going to be the best representative for the accused and will probably do more harm than good.

So when a defense attorney says that they won't represent an x, y or z, I respect that. I don't think that they're saying that these people don't deserve a defense. What most likely motivates them is the inability for them to be objective enough to put up a good enough defense.

[ Parent ]

I wasn't criticizing any of these (none / 0) (#23)
by inclusiveheart on Sat Mar 29, 2008 at 05:08:18 PM EST
lawyers for being honest about where their ability to represent a client vigorously is compromised for one reason or another.  I think that is a good thing.  I was just thinking in much broader terms about heinous crimes that many people think can't or shouldn't be defended.  I think that all defendants no matter what they are accused of should be allowed to present a defense if they choose to.  It protects us all in the end imo.

[ Parent ]
Oh - also - I've had a lot of time (none / 0) (#24)
by inclusiveheart on Sat Mar 29, 2008 at 05:19:03 PM EST
to think about this subject as my dad was a criminal defense attorney.  Many, many of my friends thought that was really horrible and immoral until they needed one themselves or knew someone who did.  I am very proud of the work he did.  He always felt everyone deserved a fair shot in our justice system - even guilty people.

[ Parent ]

Who Wouldn't You Represent? | 29 comments (29 topical)

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