system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Public Defenders: How would they even go about defending someone they're appointed to who seems like they're 100% guilty? Like if the crime is murder or something, do they HAVE to try and defend the person?

How can they feel good about trying to free someone who even they think could be a murderer or rapist and letting them go?
gpt
The big misconception is a defense attorney's only job is insisting "my client didn't do it"; in reality a major responsibility of a defense attorney is making sure his or her client gets a fair trial and the least amount of punishment. They might even urge their client to plead guilty because they would fare worse in a trial.

John Adams, despite his support for independence of the 13 Colonies, still defended the British soldiers accused of murder during the Boston Massacre because he believes everyone deserves a fair trial in a civil society.