It is rare to hear of a criminal lawyer charged with a crime, unless that lawyer is a high-profile one, such as a public defender or district attorney. It is also unusual to hear anything unless the charges are quite serious. However, if the public does hear about such a case, it becomes a thing of interest because there are quite a few differences between a lawyer going on trial and the average person going on trial. Here are the differences and why this is such a big deal when you hear about a criminal law attorney going on trial.

An Attorney Could Defend Him/Herself

While it is completely ill-advised for anyone else to defend themselves in court, a lawyer actually can. It is not always a great idea, considering that the charges might be pretty severe, but a criminal lawyer retains his or her right to practice law until convicted of a crime and disbarred from practicing. Since a criminal lawyer is fully aware of applicable laws in his/her state and jurisdiction, he/she is able to create a valid and solid defense. 

However, there are some pitfalls with that as well. Despite the fact that all lawyers are able to distance themselves from the people they defend, it is much more difficult to do when they themselves are on trial. One purpose of hiring a lawyer is so that you will not have emotional outbursts in court with regards to something the plaintiff said against you that you feel is untrue or a misleading statement. As a lawyer defending oneself, maintaining emotional control is much harder, and thus, it is even more important to have a fellow lawyer defend the accused.

Lawyers Are Able to Get out of Jail Easier

Lawyers are also able to get out of jail a little bit easier. They have access to funds and assets that make bail easy. They may also be allowed out of jail on their own recognizance, if a judge deems it allowable, and the offense charged against the lawyer is not something that would cause him/her to have his/her law license suspended.  It is unusual, but not impossible, for a judge to order remand on a lawyer, unless that lawyer is accused of being something especially heinous, such as a serial killer.

Additionally, criminal law attorneys know how the system works. They know the laws. They can use this information to their advantage to appeal to the sitting judge to get out and/or stay out of jail until the hearing or the trial. 

If you're curious about criminal law attorneys, click here to continue reading.