Do criminal defense lawyers ask if their clients are guilty?

A defendant may have done the act in question, but the client may have a valid defense that would exonerate him. For these reasons, among others, defense lawyers often do not ask their clients if they committed the crime. read more

Determining whether a criminal client is guilty is just one aspect of the entire case. There are essentially two sets of facts. One set of facts are what the criminal defense attorney is able to ascertain through the representation of the client. The second set of facts is the facts known to the state that will be used to in court to prove guilt. read more

Attorneys are ethically required to zealously represent their clients, no matter what their personal opinion of the case may be; this means that criminal defense attorneys are required to do their best to advocate for their clients, even if the attorney believes the client is guilty. read more

For these reasons, among others, defense lawyers often do not ask their clients if they committed the crime. Instead, the lawyer uses the facts to put on the best defense possible and leaves the question of guilt to the judge or jury. read more