Gladiator court fighting in Virginia means never relying on helpful judicial nor prosecutorial actions, and instead succeeding through full preparation and keeping eyes on the prize, says Fairfax criminal lawyer

Gladiator fighting was at once among the lowest level that any humans could have reached, but also excellently inspires me in pursuing the best defense for my Virginia DUI, felony and misdemeanor court clients. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I learned early on to delight when a judge, prosecutor or police officer does something beneficial for my clients, but never to expect that as a given, and to remain unruffled when any of them act in an underhanded fashion, or worse. Your Virginia criminal court visit is not about expecting a cakewalk, but about fighting to get back as much of your liberty and reputation as possible, with an acquittal or permanent dismissal being the ultimate goal. It was that attitude that may have enabled one of the most anticommunist presidents that ever lived to smilingly meet with the murderous leader of China, in their mutual realpolitik effort to defang the Soviet Union, which for each of them was a much greater menace to each of their nations. (And maybe they also smiled with each other, out of having also having had different levels of ruthlessness in their political histories.) Similarly for me, I have experienced some of my best court victories even with judges who many Virginia criminal defense lawyers react internally to with an “aw sh*t” response when learning they are the case’s judge, and in negotiations with plenty of prosecutors who often in other contexts come across as heartless and underhanded as they come.

That crappy plea offer from the prosecutor may be intended to bend you out of shape and for you to doubt or get angry at your Virginia criminal defense lawyer

Virginia assistant commonwealth’s attorneys / prosecutors have no obligation to agree to a favorable plea offer for you as a criminal defendant, let alone a good plea offer. That alone is a reason for you to focus on obtaining a criminal defense lawyer — for instance one who fights like a gladiator — who will rise to the occasion well in taking your case to trial, and whose trial readiness will help fuel the possibilities of eventually obtaining a strong case result for you. The prospect for you of proceeding to trial might be scary, but you will be less trepidatious of doing so when your lawyer has fully prepared you to proceed to trial (including fully preparing your testimony), and when you know that your lawyer loves going to trial and is good at doing so, not in terms of looking smooth, but in terms of obtaining great results. I love going to trial and to court as a Fairfax criminal lawyer not because this forum is always fair and just — because often the very opposite currents are at play — but because I have relished fighting with my words (and have had my share of fistfights in my public school days) since my single digits, because I know that my work is on the side of the angels, and because I love winning for my clients and cannot stand losing.

Has my Virginia criminal defense lawyer failed me if s/he has not delivered me a great dismissal option or plea deal?

The reason you have not received a favorable plea or settlement offer or agreement from the prosecutor may or may not have anything to do with your lawyer. First, opening settlement negotiations are just that. I have repeatedly obtained much better final settlements on the first date of negotiating or a later date, including many times when the trial date gets continued and we have a different prosecutor and maybe a different judge the next time. Second, it is true that great negotiating skills by your Virginia criminal defense lawyer — backed up by the threat of complete trial readiness and ability — but many factors beyond your lawyer’s abilities and effectiveness can lead to unfavorable settlement negotiations. For one thing, the more the prosecutor wants job security, the more s/he is going to avoid a plea deal that leads to a scolding from one of his or her supervisors. Second, while a motivation by some prosecutors to arrive at a defendant-favorable settlement negotiations can be to save their time from a trial or to save face from being embarrassed by superior skills of a well experienced criminal defense lawyer, the very purpose of being a trial lawyer — especially a gladiator Virginia criminal defense lawyer — should be to take many cases to trial as well, even when that means the prosecutor is taking lumps from much better lawyers at trial.

Prosecutors and police are not transformed into upstanding people merely by being public servants being paid with our tax dollars

Virginia prosecutors and police are supposed to serve the entire public, and not only alleged crime victims and the law itself. However, the times are legion that too many Virginia prosecutors decline to sufficiently independently assess whether the defendant may be innocent or not as culpable as alleged, and maybe with vital extenuating circumstances to explain the defendant’s behavior. Police repeatedly deal with highly charged incident scenes, and  make split second decisions that are not always good ones, especially with police officers who have not yet developed sufficient judgment skills, sufficient maturity, and a commitment to eliminating racial and other wrongful prejudices in themselves and in their actions. Gladiator criminal defense focuses not on the fairness of the situation rather than how to obtain the best possible result for the accused.

When your Virginia criminal defense lawyer has gladiator qualities, s/he will pick themselves up after any dust-up, and keep fighting until obtaining the best possible result for you or until the court calls an end to the fighting

Russell Crowe’s gladiator is the epitome of a great fighter — not flinching at all at the most violently vicious actions of opponents, and continuing to tool and retool himself and as a leader with his teammates. My own teammates are my clients, staff and many of my great Virginia criminal defense lawyer colleagues, who, like I, never give up, never give in, and keep ourselves focused on the prize of obtaining as much victory as possible for our clients. And a good criminal defense lawyer will not easily get angry, will talk with any prosecutor or police officer on the road to pursuing the best possible result for the criminal defense client, and will remain above the line that divides upstanding behavior from the opposite, even when opponents attempt to sling mud and to drag your criminal defense lawyer into the mud.

Fairfax criminal lawyer Jonathan Katz relentlessly pursues your best possible defense against Virginia DUI, felony and misdemeanor prosecutors. See for yourself the Gladiator firepower that Jon Katz can bring to your defense, through a free in-person initial confidential consultation about your court-pending case. Call 703-383-1100 to secure your appointment with Jon.