criminal defense lawyer
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criminal defense lawyer
A lawyer who specializes in representing people who are accused of a criminal offense. His or her job is to protect the rights of the defendant in criminal proceedings.
Der bekannte Strafverteidiger plädierte auf nicht schuldig.
The well-known criminal defense lawyer pleaded not guilty.
The word consists of 'Straf-' (from 'die Strafe' (punishment/penalty), here in the sense of criminal law) and 'Verteidiger' (defender, from 'verteidigen' (to defend)). So it is a person who defends someone in a criminal trial.
Ohne einen guten Strafverteidiger hätte er kaum eine Chance gehabt.
Without a good criminal defense lawyer, he would hardly have had a chance.
The component 'Straf-' connects the word with the whole field of criminal law. Other important words in this family are 'das Strafrecht' (criminal law), 'die Straftat' (criminal offense), and 'das Strafverfahren' (criminal proceedings).
Er wurde einer Straftat beschuldigt und brauchte einen Strafverteidiger.
He was accused of a criminal offense and needed a criminal defense lawyer.
You can 'beauftragen' (hire/appoint), 'engagieren' (hire), or colloquially 'sich nehmen' (get for oneself) a 'Strafverteidiger' (criminal defense lawyer). The lawyer themself 'vertritt' (represents) their client or 'plädiert' (pleads) in court.
Sie musste einen Strafverteidiger beauftragen, um sich gegen die Vorwürfe zu wehren.
She had to hire a criminal defense lawyer in order to defend herself against the accusations.
lawyer
'der Anwalt' and 'der Strafverteidiger' both belong to the area of law and courts. 'Anwalt' is the more general term: a lawyer can advise people on many legal questions, for example about contracts, divorce, or disputes with a landlord. 'Strafverteidiger' is more specific and means a lawyer who defends an accused person in criminal proceedings. The words can be confused because every criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer. But not every lawyer is a criminal defense lawyer. When it is about a crime and an accused person, 'Strafverteidiger' is more precise.
Der Strafverteidiger spricht vor der Verhandlung lange mit dem Angeklagten.
The criminal defense lawyer speaks with the defendant at length before the trial.
Nach dem Unfall ruft Maria einen Anwalt an, weil sie Fragen zur Versicherung hat.
After the accident, Maria calls a lawyer because she has questions about the insurance.