Liberty and Justice for All

My dad represents criminal defendants for a living. He represents accused robbers, murderers, and people who drive drunk. He represents people who have been in trouble with the law their entire lives, as well as teenagers who have made one bad decision. Sometimes my dad’s cases are covered on the news. That’s when my friends ask, “How can your dad represent someone like that?” I believe my dad has the most honorable job of all: protecting our constitutional rights.

The U.S. Constitution guarantees every person accused of a crime the right to a defense attorney. The Constitution does not say that only rich people who can afford a good lawyer can have one. The right to an attorney doesn’t just apply to people who commit minor offenses. You get to have a lawyer whether this is the first time you have been charged or the tenth time. The right to a lawyer applies to all of us. Dad represents all different kinds of people charged with all different types of crimes, because if one person’s constitutional rights are denied, all of our constitutional rights are at risk.

A criminal lawyer’s job is not just to get people out of trouble and allow them to go free, but to be sure they are treated fairly by the judicial system. Sometimes it is fair for the person to go to jail. But, sometimes the person charged with a crime is truly innocent. Either way, it is important for that person to have a fair trial under the Constitution.

Without criminal defense attorneys, the criminal justice system would be one-sided and unfair. My dad has to look at all the law and facts about his cases to make sure the police didn’t make a mistake and to ensure that all the witnesses are telling the truth. If my dad’s client goes to jail, but his legal rights were protected and he was treated fairly in court, my dad has done his job.

Not everyone charged with a crime is a bad person. Everyone makes mistakes. The person who asks, “How could you defend a drug addict?” may have a family member who gets arrested one day for using drugs and needs help. What if that person is you? You would want an experienced lawyer to help your family. You would be relieved that there are people like my dad, who go to work every day to protect our constitutional rights. You would be grateful my dad has the most honorable job of all.