Can a Greensboro criminal defense attorney explain the ethical obligations of a prosecutor? Yes, of course!
Attorneys are all subject to certain ethical obligations. Before becoming a licensed attorney, each person must take and pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam. This exam includes ethical questions in general for attorneys, and even specific ethics questions dealing with prosecutors and judges. Prosecutors, along with judges, have special rules that they must follow due to the amount of discretion they are given within in their job. If these rules are violated the attorney will face repercussions and may even lose their law license. For more information on the ethical obligations of an attorney, speak with a Greensboro criminal defense lawyer today!
Prosecutors must follow additional specific rules due to the ample amount of discretion their job entails. These rules assure that each defendant is given their fair day in court and that constitutional rights are not violated. For example, the prosecutors themselves must be the ones who negotiate any plea with a defendant. Thus, a prosecutor who allows a police officer to negotiate a plea with a defendant would be violating their ethical obligations. Prosecutors are also ethically barred from speaking to a defendant who has hired an attorney. Thus, if a prosecutor were to try and negotiate a plea without the defendant’s attorney present, they would be violating their ethical obligations.
Another example of a prosecutor’s ethical obligation is that the prosecutor cannot prosecute a crime that they know is not supported by probable cause. Sometimes this may require that the prosecutor do more research than merely reviewing the police report. If you are concerned about a specific act of a prosecutor, you should contact a Greensboro criminal defense attorney for more information.
A Greensboro criminal defense attorney will make sure that you are represented correctly, as it is their ethical duty to zealously advocate for their clients. The criminal defense attorneys at Garrett, Walker, Aycoth, and Olson do just that, as they genuinely care about each and every case presented to them by their clients. Call at 336-379-0539; we are here to help!