By Clayton T. Robertson (Criminal Defense / Civil Rights Attorney) Our clients are often coming to us during the darkest periods of their lives. This requires a skillset that transcends mere great lawyering. Recently I read a book chapter about negotiation written by another attorney. We learn from court, from our own training and education, and from the experiences of others. In this chapter, the attorney provided lessons about representing clients with which I couldn't agre

By Clayton T. Robertson (Criminal Defense/Civil Rights Attorney) A prosecutor at the outset of a case has a preconceived notion of what it's worth -- that is, the potential offers or range of offers. They filed the case, so they've already made an internal assessment of its value. What does it take to pull them out of that range or expand the DA's "zone of possible agreement"? This is where discovery comes into play. Discovery is the evidence the defense receives from the pro

By Clayton T. Robertson (Criminal Defense / Civil Rights Attorney) If you have a beef with the criminal justice system as someone who is charged or who is a family member, you're not alone. It's inefficient, overloaded, and bureaucratic. And those are the good parts. The ironic reality is if you are looking for justice, it's going to take a lot more than to simply declare your innocence. I'll focus this blog on one issue in particular, which I believe diplomatically cuts

By Clayton T. Robertson (Criminal Defense / Civil Rights Attorney) You're going to know how much passion your attorney has for his or her work based on some of the following: - Are they contacting you consistently between court appearances? - Or are they contacting you the day or night before court appearances in a rush? - Have they set up a secure text exchange with you for regular updates? - Are you in direct contact with the attorney or just their legal assistant? - Are t