Picking the right (or wrong) attorney to defend you in a self-defense case

[docachna]

New edition of the USCCA magazine (Concealed Carry) has a fabulous article about how to know if the lawyer defending you after a defensive shooting is the right person for the job. As a retired lawyer of 34 years (who never did trial work), I loved this header on the article:

"SELECTING THE RIGHT ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT YOU IN A SELF-DEFENSE CASE IS LIKE SELECTING THE RIGHT DOCTOR. IF YOU NEED A HEART VALVE REPLACED, YOU NEED A SKILLED CARDIAC SURGEON, NOT A GENERAL PRACTITIONER. A DIVORCE OR DUI LAWYER MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET YOU THROUGH THE ARRAIGNMENT, BUT THAT'S IT. YOU NEED A TRIAL LAWYER WHO KNOWS HOW TO DEFEND THE INNOCENT."

Even better is the advice about a lawyer who immediately starts talking about a plea-bargain to you. Fascinating discussion about the necessity to seek out a specialist who knows how to direct the defense of the case and move the jury toward finding you innocent, and not moving the jury toward perhaps convicting you of a lesser-included offense with less jail time. I supervised insurance litigation for a mid-major carrier for 25 years, and I often had the same experience with defense counsel. If their first thought was "what can we settle this for", regardless of the liability picture, I went elsewhere.

This was written by Schuyler P. Robertson, who is NOT a lawyer, but I nevertheless absolutely concur with his recommendations. I have my problems with USCCA, but this article is must-reading for anybody who thinks they may ever have the need to use deadly force in the defense of themselves or their family. It is not presently available online, but many of his previous articles are. I'm not going to risk copyright violations by posting the article on here, but if anybody wants to email me, I can provide a scanned copy.

[Frog4aday]

Thanks for sharing this. Most of us are not familiar with the ins & out of the legal system. Anytime somebody knowledgeable shares insight, I appreciate the glimpse behind the curtain.