If you were the head coach of a football team and you stumbled across your opponent’s playbook on the day of the big game, odds are you are going to have a leg up on the competition. When you have an idea of what’s coming, you know how to defend against it, and that’s exactly why having a former prosecutor as your defense attorney is a great strategy.
At Appelman Law Firm, our team has worked on the prosecution in the past, so we have insider knowledge as to how they tend to prep for certain types of cases. We know what type of evidence they look for, what they hope to get out of witnesses, and how they plan to build their case. Because we know what they’ll be looking for, we can develop a defense that accounts for and discredits the pillars on which the prosecution hopes to build their case.
Former Prosecutor As A Defense Lawyer
As we mentioned in the intro, the single biggest advantage you’ll have on your side if you hire a defense lawyer that has previous experience working as a prosecutor is that they know how the other side will likely try to strengthen their case. Your lawyer will have a keen eye at figuring out the weak spots in your case, and while that may sound like a bad thing, it’s not. If you know that the prosecution is going to center their case around one specific eyewitness, your lawyer can get to work doing everything in their power to discredit that witness or make them seem unreliable. If you don’t know how the other side will attack your case, it’s tougher to counter their arguments.
Another helpful aspect is when it comes to plea bargains. There’s a rare chance that your lawyer actually worked with the district attorney in the area, which will give them an idea of how far they may be willing to bend. However, most prosecutors-turned-defense-lawyers won’t have direct working experience with the current prosecution. That being said, because they have been on that side, your defense lawyer will understand how the prosecution generally likes to plead these types of cases out, which can give you a leg up in negotiations.
Finally, one aspect you may find helpful is how your defense lawyer manages their time. When you’re working on the prosecution, you may end up feeling like you’re fielding a never-ending stream of cases. In other words, you learn how to manage your time wisely in a quick manner. Defense lawyers can be selective as to how many people they take on as clients. So while a defense lawyer has the ability to avoid becoming overburdened more easily than the prosecution, a defense lawyer with a background on the other side will have plenty of experience working swiftly under pressure, and that could make the difference in your case.
We have experience working with the prosecution, and that gives us a leg up in helping you win your case. We settled into criminal defense because we know how important it is for everyone to get their day in court and achieve justice, and that’s what we want to do for you. For more information, or to set up a free case review session, reach out to the Appelman Law Firm at (952) 224-2277.
