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The Role Of Defense Counsel In Ensuring A Fair Justice System, Richard Klein

Richard Daniel Klein

Supreme Court decisions are replete with statements about how crucial it is to have a defense attorney represent the person who is accused of crime. Defense counsel may accurately be considered law enforcers. While representing a lone individual against all the power of the state, counsel must “police the police” to determine if there has been an unconstitutional search, a coerced confession, an unlawfully suggestive lineup, or the fabrication of testimony. Defense counsel must attempt to ensure that the prosecutor is adhering to the professional requirement not merely to convict, but to do justice and comply with his obligations to …