Definition - What does Criminal Attorney mean?
A criminal attorney is a lawyer who primarily defends clients accused of committing a crime. This is opposed to many other different other types of attorneys such as tax attorneys, prosecutors, family law attorneys, etc. Most lawyers have an area of expertise. For criminal attorneys, this area of expertise is defending individuals who are charged with a crime.
Justipedia explains Criminal Attorney
When a person is accused of a committing a crime, it is necessary that there are attorneys who specialize in criminal defense. Prosecutors specialize in representing the state in criminal cases, and criminal attorneys specialize in defending the accused criminals. Criminal attorneys help the accused criminals to organize a defense. They argue cases using their knowledge of the law. People seek the counsel of defense attorneys because they are considered a highly valuable asset in legal defense. If a person who is accused of a crime cannot afford an attorney, then the state will provide one to them at the expense of the taxpayer. The right to an attorney is a constitutional right. It also helps to ensure that people receive a fair trial.