Here We Go Again

My next three trials look to be uphill battles to say the least. I'm starting one tomorrow that essentially pits my client (with a substantial criminal record, including several charges nearly identical to the facts of his current charge) against a number of police officers. They say A, he says B. I always tell my clients that a he said, she said with the police isn't a good fight unless we can prove they're lying.

The trial after that should be a complete beating. My client is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a controlled substance. His defense basically boils down to nuh-uh. Again, no witnesses at all...just another he said, she said with the police (are you sensing a pattern here).

And finally I've got a murder where my client killed a totally innocent bystander while he was high on cocaine. At least I'll get a chance to learn to lose with grace!

Beat-down

Trial can be a beat-down in a number of ways. Having very little to argue on your client's behalf is almost always a beat-down. But in a more general sense, trial is mentally, physically, and emotionally draining. It is also fun as hell.

I just finished a trial. My client was accused of burglary of a habitation. With his record he was facing up to life in prison. If you believed the complaining witness, he was a despicable person who deserved whatever he got. If you believed him, he was being burned by an angry, jealous woman. It's a common theme in the criminal justice system. The sad part is, both sides of the story are believable. In this case, the jury went with her and gave him a hell of a lot of time. When I heard the guilty verdict, I knew decades and decades of time would probably follow. And they did.

Time to rest and recuperate.

Introduction

Welcome to Settle for Nothing, a blog by an anonymous public defender. I'll write about my experiences in the courtroom and about the criminal justice system generally. Unfortunately I probably will not post every day; I'll probably throw out a few posts a week. More if I have a lot to write about, less if it's slow or if I'm in trial. I will never break client confidentiality and I will do my best not to break my own anonymity. So here goes...I hope you enjoy.