It is not uncommon for prosecutors to eventually pursue a career as a criminal defense attorney. Although these two types of legal professionals oppose each other in the courtroom, the skills acquired during the time working as a prosecutor can make a person an especially skilled defense lawyer.
What Does a Prosecutor Do?
A prosecutor’s main responsibility is bringing criminal charges against a defendant. This involves researching a case, collecting evidence, completing settlement and trial processes, and speaking with witnesses, police officers, judges, and lawyers.
A lot of a prosecutor’s time at work is spent in a courtroom. A former prosecutor will likely have much more in-trial experience than an attorney who has not worked as a prosecutor. In-trial experience is an essential skill — especially in the area of criminal defense, working in a courtroom can be the differentiating factor between a successful case and a sentencing.
The most vital skill a former prosecutor has is their ability to anticipate the strategies of other prosecutors. A criminal defense attorney can reflect on their career as a prosecutor and think about how they handled a trial, and use that experience to inform their approach. Additionally, former prosecutors understand how prosecution cases succeed, and can form a defense against those successful tactics.
Additional Benefits of Hiring a Former Prosecutor as Your Attorney
A former prosecutor’s skill set is not the only helpful asset that can aid in a criminal defense role. While working as a prosecutor, a person develops an in-depth understanding of the local court system, and builds relationships with the other people who work in that court system. These relationships can inform a criminal defense attorney’s strategy, which can be crafted to account for the typical conduct of a judge or other attorney.
Prosecutor experience allows criminal defense attorneys to:
- Understand the thought processes of prosecutors
- Anticipate the opposition’s strategies
- Apply pressure effectively
- Employ their knowledge of local courts
- Utilize years of in-trial experience
- Understand every step of the trial process
- Relate to other legal professionals
Contact the Experienced Attorneys of Alpert Schreyer, LLC
The Alpert Schreyer, LLC legal team includes multiple former prosecutors. Our founding partner Attorney Andrew D. Alpert, as well as Attorney Arya Saleh and Attorney Michael Berman, have all worked as prosecutors in the past. We have the trial experience and skill set necessary to provide quality legal representation to you.
To schedule a free consultation with our criminal defense lawyers, complete our contact form or call 301-321-7277.