Viktor Bérces: Evidence in Criminal Proceedings
›
Chapter V. The Anglo-Saxon system of evidence today
›
5.3. Characteristics of the US evidence system
›
5.3.3. Specificities of the patronage function

5.3.3. Specificities of the patronage function

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The accused in criminal proceedings has the right to a lawyer at all stages of the proceedings. It should be noted that representation by a lawyer is almost always mandatory, given that the “cross-examination system” requires considerable professionalism and routine. Lawyers are required to provide legal representation on the basis of the income and financial situation of the accused

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

  • as an authorised defender,
  • as a public defender (free of charge), or
  • or carried out by the Public Defender’s Office.
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

If there is no defender in the proceedings, this function is “taken over” by the judge, which is combined with more active questioning, commenting and proposing on the part of the decision-maker.

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The rhetorical skills of the defence (and prosecution) are particularly important in jury trials, for the following reasons:

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

  1. For the sake of “precedent”, the defenders’ speeches rarely touch on specific legal rules, so the number of legal references is generally low. This may, in some cases, make the defence’s performance uncertain, since there is no guarantee that there is a relevant and comparable court judgment. Moreover, there are no limits to the system of mitigating circumstances1 (in fact, there are only limits to reasonable defence arguments, but beyond that there are no substantive constraints as elaborated by the case law). 2
  2. In legal proceedings, one has to argue against a group of people who are – presumably – inexperienced in legal procedures, and therefore, instead of using the “ts” terminus technicus”, one should aim for the power of personal persuasion.
  3. The pace of the proceedings is faster, as any procedural irregularity that is undesirable for the defence can be immediately objected to, which lawyers often do almost in seconds (this is mainly in objections to the conduct of the trial or the parties’ pertaktik).3
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

With regard to the conflict of interest rules, it is important to underline that a defence lawyer may not, without the defendant’s permission, represent another defendant or another person (e.g. a witness) whose interests are contrary to the defendant’s.4 The elimination of these situations is not only a legal requirement, but is also expressed “visually”: the defender sits directly next to the accused during the trial, thus the right of contact is more effectively exercised.
1 In Hungarian jurisprudence, however, the Criminal Chamber Opinion No. 56 on the factors to be assessed in the imposition of sentences (hereinafter: BKv. 56.) lists the mitigating and aggravating circumstances in an almost exhaustive manner. The criminal judge is unlikely to take account of any other circumstances mentioned in the plea, and lawyers are unlikely to be able or even dare to ‘step outside’ this list.
2 To take an example: in Hungarian case law, it is a mitigating circumstance if the offender has to care for several minor children. In a US court, however, a defendant’s statement that he or she is preparing to start a family may have a significant impact on the jury’s verdict.
3 Mahler (2003) ibid. 79.
4 Mahler (2003) ibid. 76.
chevron_left
chevron_right
Tartalomjegyzék navigate_next
Keresés a kiadványban navigate_next
A kereséshez, kérjük, lépj be!
Könyvjelzőim navigate_next
A könyvjelzők használatához
be kell jelentkezned.
Jegyzeteim navigate_next
Jegyzetek létrehozásához
be kell jelentkezned.
    Kiemeléseim navigate_next
    Mutasd a szövegben:
    Szűrés:
    Kiemelések létrehozásához
    MeRSZ+ előfizetés szükséges.
      Útmutató elindítása
      delete
      Kivonat
      fullscreenclose
      printsave