Lawyers are required to zealously defend their clients. Too often in doing that they show their worst side.
On the other hand, I’ve sometimes wondered if there might not be an unspoken subtext to some of their dumber defenses: “Your Honor, we both know this cretin is guilty but that I have to look like I’m defending him, so just disregard how stupid I sound, praise me for my zeal, and find the sucker guilty like he deserves.”
(This only can work with a non-jury trial; juries are too likely to contain some fellow-cretin who will believe anything.)
pschearer Premium Member over 12 years ago
Lawyers are required to zealously defend their clients. Too often in doing that they show their worst side.
On the other hand, I’ve sometimes wondered if there might not be an unspoken subtext to some of their dumber defenses: “Your Honor, we both know this cretin is guilty but that I have to look like I’m defending him, so just disregard how stupid I sound, praise me for my zeal, and find the sucker guilty like he deserves.”
(This only can work with a non-jury trial; juries are too likely to contain some fellow-cretin who will believe anything.)
alan.gurka over 12 years ago
“Your honor, we all have occasional slips with the law. This is my client’s first in recent memory. Oh, did I mention he also suffers from amnesia?”
litebites over 12 years ago
Find me guilty too your honor.