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What attitude should PDs have towards victims/opposing counsel?

Skelly has a great post that raises a good question. How should a defense attorney for the poor feel towards and treat a victim, their family, or opposing counsel? One view confrontational view is:?When I?m on trial and we?re in a truly adversarial proceeding, I hate the mother of the victim. I hate the father of the victim, I hate the children of the victim. I hate every part of it. It?s actually a terrible thing, but I can literally hate them when I?m fighting. I have to.?I have one source for an asnwer. The oath sworn by Florida bar members states in pertinent part:"I will abstain from all offensive personality and advance no fact prejudicial to the honor or reputation of a party or witness, unless required by the justice of the cause with which I am charged;"There are times where a defense lawyer must be offensive to be effective, but there are also many instances where a lawyer is simply offensive and thus becomes less effective...continue to full post

Full post as published by Defending Those People on June 11, 2007 (boomark / email).