Saturday, November 28, 2009
Lockup and The First 48-Great Shows and Relevant to Class
In class we discussed the issue of whether or not lawyers should feel compelled to represent guilty clients to the best of their ability. Like many do, I watched a significant amount of television over the break, and much of it was a show called The First 48 and MSNBC’s Lockup. Both shows deal with criminals and oftentimes feature young adults who have committed serious crimes such as murder. The interviews with a lot of them show serious remorse and the acceptance of responsibility for their actions. While I don’t deny that these individuals should be duly punished, I feel that a lawyer who earnestly represents them could have a positive impact on their road to rehabilitation. Most of them have grown up in impoverished neighborhoods where gangs are the only people they can rely on, and so I think to have an attorney really go to bat for them could facilitate a change in lifestyle. This may seem a bit idealistic, but humanitarians often say “even if I can help only one person it will have been worth it,” and I don’t find this possibility that far-fetched.
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I like what you're saying: that lawyers should agree to represent criminals who have the potential to be good citizens in the future. I feel good about that. What I don't like is the idea that a lawyer would lie about what their client did, and would argue his or her client is innocent when the lawyer knows the client is guilty.
ReplyDeleteI agree and think any positive influence can only help them in rehab. I have not seen either show, but I do not think that at that point in the client's life, a lawyer helping them get a reduced sentence will really help them that much, as they are already in very deep and getting out is going to take way more than someone being nice to them while they do their job.
ReplyDeleteI defintely agree. I feel that the role of a lawyer is to not only represent their client in the court of law, but to also guide their client in a positive direction. Although this is an idealistic belief, I feel that a major part of being in an authoritative position is to lead others in a positive direction.
ReplyDeleteMy dad used to be a criminal lawyer, so I asked him about this. Criminal law pays very well, but there are consequences for practicing criminal law. A lawyer takes an oath to serve his clients to the best of his ability, even if they are guilty. My father was not entirely comfortable with criminal law because he did have to represent criminals. Also, when he would lose a case, we would get threatening phone calls late at night and people would drive by our house and scream obscenities. He ended up transitioning to civil law as a result. However, he did say that he did positively affect criminals by steering them in the right direction. As a lawyer, he was in a position to help those who needed it, and he did.
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