Who is Peter Trudsø?
Peter Trudsø has spent the past twenty-five years working exclusively in the field of criminal justice.
Trained as a prosecutor from 1998-2004 (Copenhagen Police and State Prosecutor for Serious Economic and International Crime) Peter made the natural transition to defense attorney in 2005.
Peter is with the right of audience before the Danish Supreme Court.
He conducts all types of criminal cases, including white-collar crime cases (tax fraud, VAT fraud, money laundering etc.).
Peter is a member of ECBA (The European Criminal Bar Association) and EFCL (European Fraud and Compliance Lawyers).
In the following you can read about the most important tasks of your counsel.
Only your interests
The most important task of your counsel is to assist you during the case. Both during the investigation and when the case has to be tried before the court. You are free to choose another counsel for the defence. Whether a counsel for the defence has been assigned to you by the court, or if you have chosen a counsel for the defence yourself, the counsel runs a private law firm which is independent of the police, the prosecutor and the courts.
When you have a counsel for the defence, only he or she is entitled to conduct your case.
Use your counsel for the defence
You can use your counsel for the defence for the following issues:
Interrogations
You are entitled to bring your counsel for interrogations conducted at the policestation or in court. You decide for yourself if you wish to answer questions. Therefore, you should discuss with your counsel whether you wish to answer questions and if your counsel is to be present during police interrogations.
Important evidence
Tell your counsel if there are specific witnesses who should be interviewed. The fact is that your counsel can ask the police to interview specific witnesses. Also tell your counsel if you find that there are technical investigations which should be made.
Police material
Your counsel receives the police material, and he will meet you so you can discuss the case. You may read the papers of the police when your counsel is present. Your counsel must not hand police papers over to you. Neither must your counsel hand police papers over to anybody else or let others read them.
The police may forbid your counsel to tell you specific details in your case. For example what witnesses or other charged persons have explained to the police. On the other hand, your counsel may tell you if the police have issued such a ban.
Confidential conversation
Your counsel must not tell the police or others what you talk about. Only if you have agreed, may your counsel tell the police what you have discussed. If there is an interpreter present during your conversation, nor must the interpreter tell others what you have told. You can confidently talk to your counsel as the conversation is confidential.
Payment of counsel for the defence
The court assigns the counsel for the defence to you whether you personally or the court has found the counsel. That means that provisionally the counsel’s fee will be paid by the state. If you are acquitted, you do not have to pay the fee yourself. If you are convicted, you have to pay the counsel’s fee in full or in part. This also applies to the fee paid to one or more former counsels for the defence.
The fee is determined by the court according to the recommended rates which you may request from your counsel for the defence.
The fee is calculated on the basis of the time your counsel has spent on the case, including participation in interrogations and number of prison visits and court sessions. The court bases the fees on an hourly rate of DKK 2.350 (DKK 1.880 + VAT, 310 Euro). The payment for court sessions includes preparation time. The counsel for the defence is therefore paid for 1½ hours for each hour the counsel has to appear in court.
The counsel for the defence is not allowed to receive other amounts in addition to what is paid by the state. If you wish a specific counsel for the defence residing outside the judicial district where your case is tried, the court may assign a counsel for the defence with reservations as to travel costs. If so, the counsel for the defence will not be paid by the state for his travel expenses or the time spent on transport.
If the counsel for the defence does not renounce his claim for travel expenses, the counsel may require you to pay them yourself. You must be informed of this in writing so you have the possibility of choosing another counsel for the defence.