Final answer:
Defense attorneys face ethical dilemmas around conflicts of interest, standards of counsel, deportation advice, and ensuring a fair trial. They must balance these issues with their legal and moral responsibilities towards their clients.
Step-by-step explanation:
Defense attorneys may encounter a range of ethical dilemmas while representing their clients. One such dilemma stems from the right to an attorney, established in cases like Glasser v. United States, which highlights the conflict of interest issue when representing co-defendants.
Another dilemma relates to providing adequate legal counsel, as outlined in Strickland v. Washington, ensuring the attorney's performance meets a reasonable standard and that any deficiencies do not adversely affect the outcome.
Additionally, attorneys must consider the deportation risks as mentioned in Padilla v. Kentucky, informing clients about potential immigration consequences post-conviction.
Moreover, ethical dilemmas arise in upholding the defendant's rights to a fair trial, including the impartiality of the jury, the right to confront witnesses, and adequate representation by public defenders or other legal counsel.
Defense attorneys must navigate these dilemmas while adhering to the core ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice.
- Conflict of interest in representing multiple clients
- Maintaining a reasonable standard of counsel to ensure effective representation
- Advising clients on the risk of deportation following conviction
- Upholding a fair trial through an impartial jury and confrontation rights
- Justice versus nonmaleficence when representing potentially guilty clients