Peter Keane, a current law professor and former chief assistant public defender in San Francisco, did an NPR segment and detailed why defending those charged with crimes is so important to our system of government

I know that most people have great difficulty understanding this. Indeed, many are horrified by it. But reflect for a moment: There is one key mechanism in our society that protects and maintains all of our freedoms. It is that we go by the rule that whenever someone does something that we condemn, no matter what it is, he still gets one person to speak up for him.

Take away this protection and all our other democratic rights, which are so carefully woven into the constitutional design of our republic, become meaningless. Without resistance from lawyers who represent people being prosecuted, all freedom is ultimately lost, because it is the natural human tendency of those who wield power to abuse those without it.

Indeed, when the government’s power is at its zenith, this is where the counsel for the accused serves the greatest purpose.  We must all remember that anyone can be charged with a crime, and that not all accused are guilty. But the only way to determine who is guilty and who isn’t is through the adversarial system, where counsel for the defendant confronts and tests the counsel for the state.

If you are charged with a crime, it is vital to get a good criminal defense lawyer on your side. If you or someone you know has been charged with a crime, contact us today.