Judges addressed by Fairfax criminal defense lawyer

Judges are not deities. They are humans. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that judges are selected through a combination of some or all of the following: Meritocracy, vetting for ability (with various sorts and quality of vetting), political considerations, and elections by the public. Even some of the most promising-seeming judicial candidates can turn out to be the opposite on the bench, because nobody has a crystal ball, judging can bring out the best or worst of different judges, and many people simply are unable sufficiently to tame the immense power involved in being a judge and sometimes simply cannot keep up with the job’s demands, which can be said of anyone who possesses immense power.

Each challenge from a judge can be redirected to an opportunity for a Virginia criminal defense lawyer

I was recently before a judge who cut off a short argument I was making against a line of direct questioning by the prosecutor. I stood my ground with the judge by urging the importance of his hearing my short, critical explanation for my objection. He finally let me state my argument. He next still overruled my objection. However, when the prosecutor ultimately offered into evidence the exhibit that was the main purpose of this line of direct examination, the judge kept the exhibit out of evidence. In a short timeframe, I witnessed impatience, dismissiveness, openness, and wisdom from this one judge.

Virginia criminal and DUI defense can be a messy path, but is an essential one

Those lawyers who want a rarefied, academic approach to using their law degrees are free to apply to be law professors or to seek to be among the small handful of lawyers who repeatedly argue before the Supreme Court (but I get exasperated plenty of times over Supreme Court opinions). Virginia criminal and DUI defense can get messy. It is battle and often war. Not all opponents fight fair. Not all judge should be judges in the first place. Even plenty of the otherwise best judges will at times rule improvidently and unfairly. The law may exist as an alternative to having the law of the jungle, but trial work often still is like being in a jungle.

Winning in Virginia criminal court is exhilarating, and makes the dung shoveling worthwhile

Why, then, do I focus just about my entire career as a Fairfax criminal lawyer on trial court defense for the accused? Because important battles for the side of the angels await to be fought, and if I refuse to participate in the battles, they will still proceed anyway. Moreover, as much as I regret how unjust the Virginia criminal justice system remains, I get as much of a rush today doing my share in achieving justice as I did in my first months in court. And, at the heart of it, I love to fight.

Fairfax criminal lawyer on maintaining the right frame of mind while focusing on the best possible court defense

The taijiquan martial art that I practice daily helps keep me in the right frame of self and mind for doing trial battle for my clients. An effective fighter, warrior even, has no expectations that any parties to the fight will be fair or even care about the fighter or his client as humans, just as it is folly to expect that a hungry tiger in the wilderness will not kill and eat a lamb walking fifty feet away.

One of my college professors had a great quote taped to his office door, that music does not require excellence, but delights in such excellence when it arrives. With judges, not all will always perform excellently, but I wish they would. When they do, I of course will welcome and revel in it.

Fairfax criminal lawyer Jonathan Katz pursues your best defense against Virginia DUI, felony and misdemeanor prosecutions. Call 703-383-1100 for your free in-person initial confidential consultation with Jon Katz about your court-pending case.