Diffusing tense situations- Approach of Fairfax criminal defense lawyer

Diffusing difficult situations is key to courtroom advocacy and persuasion, says Fairfax criminal defense lawyer

Diffusing tense situations can take substantial self control when feeling that the other person has committed a major trespass. As a Fairfax criminal defense lawyer, I know the persuasive and advocacy power of dissipating tension and never escalating it.

Diffusing anger goes hand in hand with dissipating tension

Much happens in criminal court that challenges a criminal defense lawyer’s anger buttons. A judge who usually is judicious might one day act as if s/he has switched brains with the least just judge in the courthouse. A prosecutor might try throwing proverbial dirt in the criminal defense lawyer’s eyes or renege on an an accepted plea offer. Remember that people are like ever-changing rivers. By staying with the situation — and having fun diffusing tension — along the way the criminal defense lawyer can find golden nuggets to help his or her client, and even get the challenging prosecutor or judge on the defendant’s side in some key respects.

Dealing with a distressed criminal defendant

Many of my criminal defense clients come to me in distress. Many years ago, a criminal defense lawyer colleague recounted a great example of diffusing tension with a client. A recently-arrested felony defendant’s parents hired the lawyer to meet with their son at the jail. Upon entering the meeting room, the client was heavily out of sorts. He was raising his voice, moving all around, and not sitting down. The lawyer stood up himself, and proceeded gradually to tone down his voice, and ultimately to start sitting down. The client felt both the lawyer’s caring and competency, and the lawyer’s diffusing the tension, and ultimately sat down himself and spoke calmly with the lawyer.

Staying off the roller coaster of a prosecutor, cop or judge

Many prosecutors, police and judges know how to responsibly handle their power, but too many misuse and abuse it. When I deal with such misuse and abuse of power, at my best I stay off the roller coaster of the power misuser, but stay with them as I work for my criminal defense client’s best outcome, just as I know to do in t’ai chi ch’uan martial arts sparring. As I have said many times before, another way to approach them is proverbially like Russell Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius character in Gladiator, who knows that even the smallest drop of anger can spell the difference between winning the gladiator fight or being killed. After all, enemies and obstacles are illusions, and diffusing the tension is essential.

Anger can be reduced

As one feels anger welling up inside, s/he has the option to walk away from tense situations if appropriate to do so, and to acknowledge the anger without getting sucked into a tailspin of anger. One can even proverbially dance with or sit down for tea with one’s anger, to know and thus engage in diffusing that anger in order to return to effectively approaching challenging situations.

Fairfax criminal defense lawyer Jonathan L. Katz is a highly-rated Northern Virginia criminal defense attorney pursuing your best defense against felony, misdemeanor and DUI prosecutions. Please call 703-383-1100 to schedule a free confidential in-person consultation with Jon Katz about your court-pending criminal case.