I've asked this question several times of different people and don't think I've ever had it fully explained to me:
If I, as a citizen, am called to testify in a trial, I'm sworn in and under the law must tell the truth about what I saw or know.If I fail to do so, I'm committing perjury and can be fined and / or jailed for same.
Why aren't lawyers held to the same standards? They can come up with the most hair-brained schemes to try to get their clients off the hook and many times they do. I once heard an attorney say his job was to create doubt in the minds of the jury and then exploit that doubt by all means possible.
Being retired from the insurance claims business, I've testified in several cases from arson to a couple of murder cases. It's sometimes unbelievable how some of these defense attorneys can come at you to try to discredit the truth you've told--if I'm held to the standard of telling the truth, why are attorneys given so much leeway in skirting the truth to try to win a case, whether it be a criminal case involving prison time or a civil case involving monetary damages?
Example-- several years ago here in my town a " juvenile " had killed a cab driver when he was 16 years old. Shot him in the back of the head and robbed him for the sum of $ 10.00. Since he was a " juvenile " he only served a few years and was out. He had been out less than 6 months--went into a store-- ordered an18 yr.old employee and the older man who was the owner into the back room after robbing them. He then shot the 18 yr. old in the head, killing him. The owner ran for the back door, was shot twice in the back but was still able to get out and escape being killed. He survived, identified the killer and when it went to trial, the killer's lawyer argued that the store owner had killed the 18 year old employee, had tried to kill the defendant ,who took the gun away from the owner and shot him in self defense!! The jury didn't buy it but therein lies my question--how can an attorney fabricate some scheme such as this and actually try to make it stand up in court-- I know there must be some attorneys out there who surely would give an honest answer as to why they ( attorneys ) are not held to the same standards as witnesses and have to tell the truth in any lawsuit?
I would surely appreciate an honest answer.
Thanks in advance,
Ron