Why we do what we do….
We defend people who have been accused of committing crimes. Sometimes the crimes are very serious. Sometimes they are relatively minor. From murder to shoplifting — we’ve defended them all.
We do this because it matters.
The convicts, the felons, the inmates… the criminals. The longer you live on this earth, the more you discover that “those” people sometimes turn out to be friends, family members, or neighbors….
You might even find yourself accused of a crime. Maybe you are innocent. Maybe you’re not.
Because justice requires balance.
Prosecutors and police who are left unchecked can become sloppy. They may forget that not everyone who is accused of a crime is actually guilty.
A strong defense is critical to a properly functioning American criminal justice system. Our courts need criminal defense attorneys who will ask the uncomfortable questions, who are not afraid to speak truth to power, who are willing to stand with both the guilty and the innocent.
Because character is not made in an instant.
We have had the privilege of working with clients who have made terrible choices. We say “privilege” because we have also seen the kind, caring, generous people that many of them have become.
It can take years. There may be setbacks and relapses along the way. But we have seen enough success to be convinced that a person’s character is not defined in an instant, and that failure only happens when you stop trying.
What you do today matters much more than what you did yesterday.
Because innocent people should not be convicted.
Many have said that it is better that ten guilty people go free than that one innocent person be punished.
The idea has deep roots in the American criminal justice system, and can be found in countries, cultures, and religions worldwide.
But there are those today, including some prosecutors, who do not agree.
A justice system that is willing to convict innocent people in order to achieve some purportedly “higher good” is a justice system that has abandoned real justice.
Long & Short
There are a lot of reasons why we do what we do. Many of them are long and complicated. But perhaps the most important reasons are the shortest ones:
- Because justice matters.
- Because mercy matters more.
- Because all people have worth.