If you are reading this, you are probably trying to figure out whether to call me. I encourage you to call because you need a friend who is a lawyer, not just a lawyer. Many of my former clients remain good friends to this day. When you call, we can talk briefly over the phone about your case. Next, I'll invite you to come in and meet in person for no charge. I figure that if you are considering putting your life in my hands, you should be able to meet me and see if you believe two things: 1) that I will treat you like a friend and not just another case, and 2) whether I know more than other lawyers about your type of case and the system. During our meeting, test me with tough questions. After our meeting, I encourage you to leave and think about your decision. It is an important one, so don't rush.
When meeting with potential clients, I often ask them to think about and remember the mindset of everyone involved in their case. That will help you help yourself. Here are the seven main people involved in any criminal case:
1. The alleged victim: they are the one making an allegation against you. They have a bias and we need to find it. What motivates them to call the police? What are they looking to get out of the case? What will it take to get them to tell the truth? Who knows them and can tell us and a jury what they are really like. They want you to go to jail. They are not your friend.
2. The police: they are the ones who ask questions designed to incriminate you. They want to look good to their supervisors. They want promotions. They want a "high five" from other cops. They want to convict you. No, they are not looking for the truth. Once you talk to them, they write down everything harmful you say. No, they are not your friend, even though they will treat you nice at first in hopes you will hang yourself by talking to them.
3. The deputy district attorney: They are friends with the police. The police give them work to do so they have a job. They like to support the police. They do not believe you, period. They want to convict you, so they can look good to their boss and get a promotion. They like to get a "high five" from their coworkers, staff and the police. They are not your friend.
4. The judge: Judges typically work every day with the same deputy district attorney. During breaks, they talk. I've seen them laughing together and talking about their weekend plans. Judges are employed by "the people of the state of Colorado". The DAs are employed by "the people of the state of Colorado". Judge's like their jobs and will not take unnecessary risks for you. Judges do not want to end up in the Denver Post with a story about how you reoffended under their supervision. Judge's need to be retained (keep their jobs). So, judges are people and they will error on the side of protecting their jobs and their bosses, "the people of the state of Colorado". They are not your friend.
5. Probation, pretrial workers and clerks: These people work for the court. They work around people accused of crimes all day long. You are just another case to them. They will not make a judge look bad, or they could lose their job. They work every day with deputy DAs and other court employees. They want to keep their jobs and will be careful to not trust you too much, or they could lose their job. They've been burned before by people charged with crimes and will be careful what they say around you. They will tell the judge and the DA how you treat them and what you say. Be careful around them. They are not your friend.
6. Treaters: These are counselors and therapists. They get referrals from courts (probation) and they want to keep probation officers happy. Many times, they are told what to do by probation. They want to keep their jobs and get more referrals from probation. They are not your friend.
7. Your Defense Lawyer (me): I get paid by you. I like what I do. I like winning. If I win your case, you will tell others about me. I am your only friend in the system.
I am a full-time criminal lawyer. That means I don't have a personal injury or divorce practice on the side. It takes all my time to know the details of criminal law better than anyone else. I get better results than other attorneys because I work harder and care more. I am the one who travels to the courthouse to track down the DA who won't call me back. I am the one who subpoenas records of government agencies just in case there is helpful evidence. I am the one who meets personally with every one of our witnesses before trial. I am the one who makes it a point to go see a crime scene personally. I remember a trial where the DA and police investigator did not come to the crime scene - ever. I ran circles around them because they did not know what you could see from a particular location in the house's back yard. We won that important sex case in because I was more prepared than the DA and the police. In a recent sexual assault on a child case, I opposed two senior DAs and a police investigator during the whole trial. Be sure and visit our "Case Results" page before leaving our site. I've fought against the government for eighteen years. Experience makes me better.
Come in and meet me to see if you agree that I am the best to handle your case. At the very least, you will learn new ideas for your defense (you can never have enough of these), and you will learn details about the court process.
Terry
Terry's Personal Statement
