Life is a dangerous experience. Every year 3 million people are injured in car accidents in the United States, countless people are assaulted, robbed, and taken advantage of criminally. Whenever this is made public, people desperately want the person responsible to be brought to justice. When they are convicted of a crime, those watching are relieved. When they aren’t, the public gets upset.
We see this on the news regularly. A famous person is arrested, put on trial, and when it comes to sentencing the public reacts according to their emotions. Thatis the reason we have a justice system that treats everyone as ‘innocent until proven guilty’. Criminal defense attorneys are the guardians of that fundamental right. Here are some infamous examples of criminal defense attorneys in action, standing up for their clients’ rights.
- O.J. Simpson: This controversial case involved the murder of Simpson’s wife and a waiter, a slow police pursuit of Simpson in a white Ford Bronco, racial tension, and a glove that mysteriously didn’t fit. When the verdict came back not guilty, the entire country was shocked. Some people were mad, some were relieved, but no one can question the fact that The Juice’s dream team gave the trial of the century.
- Michael Jackson: The trial of Michael Jackson for several counts of pedophelia is still uncomfortable for many Americans. Though found not guilty on all charges, the public isn’t as inclined toward the presumption of innocence as the legal system is. The king of pop passed away a few years ago and will be remembered with mixed emotions, to be sure.
- John Gotti: Some of you might be a little young to remember this New York City mafia boss, but the ‘Teflon Don’ ran the organized crime game in NYC for quite some time. He went on trial in 1990 and was found guilty of murder and racketeering two years later.
It is the job of criminal defense attorneys at law to represent their clients to the best of their ability. Upholding the sanctity of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ is crucial to the continued efficacy of the American legal system.