When It Comes to Your Lawyer, Honesty is Definitely the Best Policy

When you are facing serious criminal charges in New Jersey, you may or may not have made some mistakes. One thing is for certain, lying to your criminal defense lawyer – the very person who is fighting for your rights and possibly even your freedom – might be one of the biggest mistakes you can make.

Obviously, a skilled criminal defense lawyer is going to want to get an understanding of what happened in your own words. He or she will compare your story to the police officer’s account of what happened prior to mapping out a defense strategy in your case. This is not the time to leave out details or attempt to paint a rosy picture of what happened.

In fact, failing to tell your lawyer everything you remember, know and believe to be true may actually hurt your chances of a positive outcome. Your story might be ugly and you may be worried about your defense attorney getting the wrong idea about you, but rest assure, your attorney is concerned with the facts; his or her opinion of you is far less important than making sure they are fully informed.

Your attorney needs to have all of the unfiltered facts of your case so they can execute a quality and realistic defense. Without it, they’re facing a severe handicap and the strength of your case is likely to suffer as a result.

Attorney-client dishonesty poses a variety of real problems in the courtroom, not the least of which include: needlessly prolonging your case and decreasing your chances of victory. It can also dramatically increase the cost of your defense and put your lawyer in a bad position with the court as they are not allowed to lie to the judge on your behalf.

Not only should you be honest with your lawyer; you really can’t afford not to be. The fact is, especially for those facing serious criminal charges like murder or assault, the truth will almost always come out in the end. So if you tell your lawyer that you “weren’t there on the night in question” or you “never saw that person before in your life,” it can be extremely damaging if the prosecutor unearths evidence that shows you are lying.

An experienced criminal defense attorney will be savvy enough to try your case on its merits, but your lawyer can’t help you if you aren’t straight with them. As much as you may want to look good for your lawyer, it’s important to remember that they are not there to be your friend, they’re there to help you avoid prison and other legal penalties. Don’t tie their hands behind their back as they are fighting for you.

Give us the facts and we’ll give you a quality defense. The attorneys at Bramnick, Rodriguez, Grabas, Arnold & Mangan, LLC will work tirelessly to fight your criminal charges. Call us today for a free consultation.