Understanding the Importance of Honesty with Your Lawyer
Should you tell your lawyer the truth even if you’re guilty? Hi, my name is Carl Birkhead. I’m a Tulsa criminal attorney with Wirth Law Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’ve been practicing family and criminal law for almost eight years now, and I want to help you make law easy by just talking a little bit about how important it is to be open and honest with your attorney.
So the answer to the question is yes, you absolutely should be honest with your lawyer. But in this particular case, if you’re facing criminal charges, not every criminal attorney is going to want you to tell them if you’re guilty or not. So be honest about every question. Be honest in your answers to every question that your lawyer asks you, but you don’t always need to volunteer more information than you’re asked for.
The Strategic Importance of Limited Disclosure
The reason being is that sometimes, especially in criminal settings, the more our clients tell us about what they think happened or their version of events, that sometimes can tie our hands and limit our ability to present defenses. If all your criminal attorney has to focus on is what is the state alleging, what is the state claiming happened, what are the evidence to support the facts that they’re alleging, and you don’t say anything on your side, then it opens us up with a lot more ways that we can poke holes or we can work around or we can try to find different avenues to present a defense for you, as long as we’re not lying to the court.
But for example, if you’re faced with domestic assault and battery, and one key part of the evidence is that the alleged victim was slapped by a hand that had a class ring with the ring turned around to where it left a mark inside of the class ring, and you don’t have a class ring on, that’s great. Hey, my client doesn’t have a class ring. They’re not wearing any jewelry. Clearly, this wasn’t them. But if my client comes to me and says, yeah, no, I totally did, and I stashed the ring in the garbage can, then I can’t really go and say, yeah, they never owned a class ring, because I can’t lie to the court.
When to Speak and When to Stay Silent
But if I don’t know that, then I can still present that as a defense and cast doubt on whether or not you actually did it. So, absolutely answer every question your lawyer asks you, but do not answer more questions than your attorney asks. And if you’re in a situation where your attorney flat out says, do not tell me anything about this, then don’t.
If you have questions about this, give me a call. My name is Carl Birkhead. I’m a Tulsa felony attorney with Wirth Law Office, and I want to help you make law easy. Thank you.
Schedule a Low-Cost Initial Consultation
If you’re facing legal challenges and need guidance on how to proceed, consider scheduling a low-cost initial strategy session with me. I can offer valuable insights tailored to your specific situation. Reach out at 918-879-1681 to discuss how we can navigate your legal journey together. Don’t hesitate, your defense starts with a simple conversation.
