Conventional wisdom can be too weak an approach for criminal defendants

Conventional wisdom can end up getting you nothing better than conventional results in Virginia criminal court. As a Fairfax DUI lawyer and criminal defense lawyer, I do not stick to the beaten path for the mere purpose of doing so, nor do I engage in unorthodox approaches merely to be unorthodox. My focus at all times is in pursuing the best defense for my Virginia DUI and criminal defense clients. None of the sweat equity I put into Virginia criminal defense is about getting the approval of my colleagues and others, but is all criminal defendant-focused. Too many times I have seen seemingly accomplished colleagues insisting to me that I was on the wrong path to push so hard for victory, only for me to have ended up with victory. Naysayers may neigh but their discouraging words are but wind that should not be a distraction for an accomplished Virginia criminal defense lawyer.

Bypassing conventional wisdom got me a wet reckless result in a 0.17 BAC Virginia DUI case

Many Virginia DUI defendants are so afraid of getting a mandatory minimum five-day jail sentence for a DWI conviction for a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.15 or over, that they feel substantial relief when their criminal defense lawyer obtains a no active jail plea. Call me greedy, but I love to obtain better than that. Recently, a prosecutor tried to dismantle my pointing out that the p9lice officer in my case failed to ask (rather than order) my client to engage in roadside field sobriety testing, that the officer engaged in willful ignorance by not asking my client if he had any physical or health impairments or ailments that might interfere with his ability to do field testing (for instance the walk and turn test and one leg stand), and that the officer failed to sign (rather than simply print) his name in the BAC certificate of analysis’s attestation clause. Nonetheless, after informing the assistant commonwealth’s attorney of my client’s self-rehabilitation work, I told the prosecutor — who asked if we were simply going to have a three hour trial — “wet reckless will settle this case.” Lo and behold, the prosecutor did not reject that wet reckless driving idea, but apparently presented it to the police officer in the case, and agreed with it. Before going to court that day, I had no idea whether I would accomplish as much as that, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Conventional wisdom begone.

Do not rely on wishful thinking, but instead obtain a criminal defense lawyer who will be fully ready for trial if settlement negotiations do not succeed

I go to Virginia criminal and DUI court ready for pitched trial battle. By full trial readiness backing up my settlement negotiations, prosecutors know that their choice with me is either to have a fully-fought trial from the criminal defense side, or to settle the case for what I demand (based on the informed decisionmaking of my client). The question is not about approaching Virginia criminal defense with conventional wisdom or not, but about discovering, developing, and crystallizing whatever is needed to obtain the best possible results in Virginia criminal court.

Does your potential Virginia criminal defense lawyer go by the book or write his own book?

Each Virginia criminal and DUI defense case is unique and not conventional, not only based on the actual and alleged events, but also based on the goals, needs and concerns of the criminal defendant himself or herself. For me to fully and successfully defend my clients, I need to fully engage with them, which is completely different from taking a distant approach that puts one’s law license as a barrier with the client. My Virginia DWI and criminal defense clients are a team with me, and I do not want them seeing my profession nor law license as a barrier to anything that we do together in pursuing their best possible defense in court.

Fairfax DUI and criminal defense lawyer Jonathan Katz relentlessly pursues your best possible defense in court and in standing before judges and jurors. Learn the critical difference that Jon Katz can make to your defense by calling 703-383-1100 to secure your free in-person initial confidential consultation with Jon about your court-pending case.