Do Criminal Defence Lawyers Know the Truth?

 When in a court of law, people are asked to swear to tell the truth. As everyone already knows, the “truth” is a very funny thing. Do we actually ever even know what it is? It’s up to an individual who knows the truth to volunteer that information. It isn’t compelled from them; it’s offered up. Most of the time, the entire truth doesn’t come out for the prosecution, judge or jury to hear. We understand this, and more importantly, we understand why that is. However, what about the defence lawyer? Does this person know the actual truth? Just how much are their clients volunteering?

 There is no way to tell for certain. The best anyone can do is guess at it. Though with all the people who end up being proven guilty beyond all reasonable doubt after pleading not guilty to charges, it’s safe to assume that defendants aren’t telling their defence lawyers the whole truth. This can be a mistake. When you get a good lawyer, like those you can find at Alberta Criminal Defence Lawyers, it’s a good idea to just let them know everything.

Lawyers Know What You Tell Them

 A good lawyer is great at sniffing out what’s actually true, and they may suspect something other than what you tell them, but the fact is that they will never know the full truth about your involvement in any case unless you actually volunteer that information. If you’re the one charged and/or on trial, you will have a much better opportunity to avoid severe punishment if you’re truthful with your attorney. Here are a few reasons why it’s wise to be truthful with your lawyer.

Why It’s a Good Idea to be Truthful with Your Lawyer

1: The Information is Privileged

 The first reason is that this information is privileged. Your lawyer is legally bound not to disclose information that you do not want disclosed. They can face disbarment or even criminal charges for breaking the attorney-client privilege that’s afforded to you by law. The point here is that it’s safe to tell your lawyer the truth, and this opens up many more doors for you.

2: They Can Build a Better Defense

 The first way that the truth can benefit you is that criminal defence lawyers can build much stronger cases when they know the truth. If you’re telling your lawyer something that isn’t true, and they construct your defence around a lie, your defence falls entirely apart as that lie comes unravelled. So, it’s just a much smarter play on your part to tell them the truth.

3: They Can Seek Better Plea Bargains

 The majority of times in a court of law, those trials that you see on TV shows and movies do not actually happen. What happens is that your defence lawyer will work with the prosecution for a plea bargain. You will plead guilty or perhaps no contest to charges, and you will be met with much lesser punishments. This saves the court a lot of time and also saves the potential defendant convictions that are more severe. Though a lawyer cannot work out a good plea bargain if you lie to them. If a prosecutor suspects the information is false, they will be aiming for much more punishment.

4: There Are No Surprises

 Defendants who lie to their lawyers often feel as if no one else will discover the truth. Then, inevitably, there’s some surprising piece of evidence that the prosecution finds, or some star witness, etc. These sorts of surprises are usually the truth, which ensures that the lies crumble. When you’re honest with your lawyer from the start, these surprises will not affect the outcome of your case. Your lawyer is the one person you can trust here, the party that is on your side. Being honest means that nothing is going to come back to bite you in the rear later on in the process.

 There are some great lawyers out there located near you who will definitely fight for you and your freedom. They are on your side, so make sure that they actually know the full truth so that they’re able to work for you.