Should I testify in my own defense?

Criminal Defense Lawyer Fairfax VA

If you were charged with a criminal offense, you might be expecting to head to trial. As you prepare for the trial with the help of your criminal defense lawyer in Fairfax VA, you might be wondering if you’ll be called to testify in your own defense. At some point before the trial starts, your lawyer will probably tell you whether or not he or she plans to call you to the stand. Ultimately, whether or not you decide to testify will be up to you, but it will likely be in your best interests to take your criminal defense lawyer’s advice to heart as far as whether you should testify.

Dave Albo – Attorney has represented many people who were charged with a criminal defense. Making the critical decisions about who should testify on behalf of our clients, including our clients, is rarely easy. Generally speaking, it’s the experienced criminal defense lawyer in Fairfax VA who has a more objective and informed perspective of how well someone might testify in their own defense. Though a client may wish to testify in their own defense, this is not always the best legal strategy for a few reasons.

Sometimes Less is More

When one is charged with a crime, it can be a very emotional experience. After all, depending on the nature of the charge, a conviction might result in prison time as well as fines and the loss of one’s job. In trying to clear one’s name it is common for the accused to want to testify on their own behalf and tell their side of the story. However, as your criminal defense lawyer in Fairfax VA might tell you, it’s the emotions that the accused is feeling that could cloud their thinking. When someone testifies on their own behalf, very often they can hurt their case rather than help it. This is a good argument for heeding the legal advice of your criminal defense lawyer in Fairfax VA as to whether or not you should testify on your own behalf.

Cross-Examination

If your criminal defense lawyer in Fairfax VA calls you to the stand in your defense, once you are done testifying the prosecutor has the legal right to cross-examine you. In general, any areas of your case that you discussed, or statements that you made while on the stand, can be questioned by the prosecutor. In this way, you become vulnerable. Though you may have presented yourself very well when your criminal defense lawyer in Fairfax VA was questioning you, the prosecutor could invert the impression you initially made on the jury.

Though your criminal defense lawyer in Fairfax VA can question you again after the prosecutor finishes, the damage might already have been done. Though it’s true that your lawyer can object to certain questions asked of you by the prosecutor, the judge might overrule those objections and you will be forced to answer. In addition, you could claim your right under the Constitution’s Fifth Amendment to not answer a question that might incriminate you, that does not offer the best impression to a jury.

Talk to a Respected Criminal Defense Lawyer in Fairfax VA

If you have been charged with a criminal offense, your future is at stake and the need for quality legal representation is paramount. Call us at Dave Albo – Attorney immediately to request a free consultation with a criminal defense lawyer Fairfax VA residents rely on and who can provide you with the information you need to know.