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How can a lawyer act for the guilty?
What if the lawyer is fairly sure that the person
is guilty but the person refuses to admit guilt?
How much will it cost for me to take advice from
Neumann & Turnour or have Neumann & Turnour Lawyers do work
for me?
Do we take work on a no win, no fee basis?
How can a lawyer act for the guilty?
Our ethical rules are clear. If a person says that they are guilty,
a lawyer is not allowed to put before the court anything inconsistent
with the truth. Under our system however, a person is entitled to require
the prosecution to prove its case. It is therefore lawful to enter a
plea of not guilty and to make the prosecution prove the Defendant's
guilt.
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What if the lawyer is fairly sure that the person is guilty but the
person refuses to admit guilt?
In this case, it is quite possible that the Defendant is innocent
even though the evidence appears to be against the Defendant. The famous
Azaria Chamberlain case is an example of this. A person is entitled
to be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
It is the lawyer's job to put the accused person's case to the court
as strongly and as clearly as possible without in any way misleading
the court. It is not the lawyer's job to make a judgement about the
person's guilt. That is the responsibility of the jury (or Judge or Magistrate
as the case may be). If the lawyer believes that the client is not telling
the truth, then the lawyer is under a duty to tell the client that there
is a real risk that the client will not be believed at trial and that
as a consequence the sentence may be more severe than if the person
pleads guilty. It is usually in the best interests of a person to plead
guilty if they are guilty.
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How much will it cost?
To contact us costs nothing. This firm has a policy of endeavouring to
provide an accurate estimate of costs before work is undertaken. The more
details you can give us at the beginning by E-mail, fax or in writing,
usually assists in providing you with an accurate estimate.
Our fees are usually calculated on the basis of the amount of time
spent but, in some situations, a fixed fee can be arranged, a regular
retainer fee or fees can be charged by reference to a scale accepted
by the courts or a professional organisation. These are a matter for
us to negotiate with you and we endeavour to provide all our clients
with a service which suits their needs.
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Do we take work on a no win, no fee basis?
Sometimes, but we make a careful assessment of each case before such
a decision is made.
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