Why Would A Family Lawyer Practice Criminal Law?

Many people have a certain negative misconception towards lawyers that practice criminal law. It's often thought that these attorneys make their living by keeping criminals on the street. Most attorneys chose their career for one or more of three reasons:

1. They want to help people
2. They want to make a lot of money
3. They want to do their part to see that justice is done

For criminal attorneys, the most common reason given for their choice of profession is a belief that everyone deserves a proper defense.

Only Bad People Get Arrested

This couldn't be farther from the truth. As I've seen with many of my family law clients, even good people can fall into a situation where they're facing significant legal consequences. Usually this occurs due to a poor decision that is not what they normally do. It might be driving after having had one too many drinks, or a domestic violence charge that started because of an especially heated argument at home, or even an arrest for fishing in the wrong location. There are an infinite number of situations where someone might get arrested. That does not mean they're criminals, or "bad people".

These "good" people are not the ones everyone typically thinks would need the aid of a criminal defense lawyer, yet, this type of thing happens all the time. The justice system is not designed to deal with "good people" differently than criminals. It is only designed to issue verdicts and sentences based on a set of laws, written to apply to everyone.

What if Your Loved One is Arrested?

If your father, husband, brother, sister, son or dear friend were arrested for a criminal act that you knew was outside their real character, but rather the result of a bad choice, surely you would want to ensure that they had the best chance at minimizing the consequences.

This is why I represent those who have been criminally charged. Everyone deserves a legal defense. Anyone can be arrested and charged with a crime, and then those people who think "only bad people get arrested" get the call from the police station. It's of the utmost importance that these good people have the best representation available, because the court is not going to try them in exactly the same way they would try a "bad person" or "criminal" that's been caught for the first time.

Everyone should cherish the fact that defendants are "innocent until proven guilty", and that there are criminal attorneys standing by ready to protect you and your family for a bad decision turned criminal arrest.