Why we defend people charged with crimes

One of the first questions that I’m asked at a cocktail party, dinner, or other social event is, “How do you do that for a living?” Normally, I respond with some sarcastic response because I’ve grown tired of listening to the patronizing statements that usually follow my genuine answer.

We defend people charged with crimes for a lot of reasons. One of them is because we believe that everyone deserves to have someone stand next to them and be on their side in their darkest hour. I have defended people charged with very serious crimes — some of the worst things a person can be accused of doing. I have yet to meet a client that I didn’t care for. I believe that there is good in every person.

In criminal cases, the government has unlimited resources. Take a “simple” drunk driving case for example: the government has a multi-million dollar toxicology lab at their disposal. The average citizen accused of drunk driving because his vehicle crossed the center line doesn’t have those resources. In order to defend his case, he needs someone who can effectively show a jury all of the flaws in the government’s case.

A couple years ago, my partner and I were representing a young man in a forcible rape case. Our client was in his early 20’s and was staring down a potential life sentence. It was clear to me that he was innocent. The government lawyers wanted him to go to prison. They wanted this so badly that they had the alleged victim’s underwear tested a second time after it didn’t yield any evidence. Not surprisingly, when the state lab was told to ‘look harder’ they found some ‘evidence’. Thankfully, we were able to help the jury see through the government’s ‘science’ and the jurors sent our client home with his fiance.

We defend people because we understand the tremendous power and resources of the government. We understand that if you’re going to prevail, you need lawyers on your side who are dedicated to fighting against the government and who are able to effectively tell your story to a jury.

We would be happy to meet with you to talk about your criminal case. If you would like to schedule a time to meet, please call us at (616) 773-2945.

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