Suppose you were in a position of power over the Haditha Marines.
One night, President Bush calls you and says, "Those Marines in Haditha set us back in Iraq and in the WOT. I don't care if they're guilty or not, they have to be locked up so the Iraqis know we're on their side. If we don't take action, we could lose in Iraq."
What would you do?
Do you mean, suppose I represented them?
"I don't care if they're guilty or not, they have to be locked up so the Iraqis know we're on their side."
If I were the attorney for the accused, I'd have a duty to them and them alone. All other needs are secondary to their best interests. So, frankly, my answer to anyone who asked would be, "Sir, with all due respect, my duty is to protect the interests of my clients. I can't consider the needs of anyone else without violating my ethical duty. So, I must respectfully say that this cannot be a concern of mine."
On the other hand, I would tell the client that the handwriting is on the wall, and it looks like there's going to be a full-court press and he may not be able to win. Under such a circumstance, a plea should be considered - but the politics of the situation cannot otherwise influence the attorney.