How to choose a criminal defense lawyer<br>Understand your situation. When you are charged with a crime, you are being held responsible for a violation of a public law. In a civil case you can be forced to pay money.
A lawyer studies law to defend a person charged with legal issues.
Some lawyers do indeed defend people who are charged with legal issues. However, other lawyers prosecute people, meaning they fight against defense lawyers in court in an attempt to prove that the person charged with the legal issue is guilty.
( z1 study :ARG0 ( z2 lawyer ) :ARG1 ( z3 law ) :purpose ( z4 defend :ARG0 z2 :ARG1 ( z5 person :ARG1-of ( z6 charge :ARG2 ( z7 issue :ARG0 z3 ) ) ) ) )