Why is billionaire Charles Koch concerned about the effectiveness of your lawyer?
Billionaire Charles Koch says he’s concerned about the effectiveness of your Columbus criminal defense lawyer.
Charles and his brother David Koch have a combined net worth of more than $100 Billion. The net worth of each brother is tied as the fourth richest in the world. And they are well known for funding ultra conservative right-wing political causes. So why do they care about who your hire to defend yourself in a Columbus criminal case?
In an interview with The Wichita Eagle, Koch said his own experience with the cost of defending and ultimately settling a 97-count criminal indictment against his company prompted him to study the fairness of the criminal justice system for those who cannot mount an effective defense. Koch’s chief legal counsel, Mark Holden, said the criminal indictment made the billionaire question “how the little guy who doesn’t have … resources deals with prosecutions….”
Recognizing the value of a properly trained lawyer, the brothers and their company have given millions of dollars to the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) to fund training for criminal defense attorneys so they can be more effective advocates for those accused of committing crimes. That’s good news for the Constitution, for the Sixth Amendment, and for the rights of every accused person, even here in Columbus, Ohio.
Kock said criminal justice issues have become a priority for him, and that he is going to contribute more to promote fairness in the criminal justice system over the coming year.
The lawyers and paralegals at our firm share the Koch brothers’ concerns about the fairness of the criminal justice system for those facing serious criminal charges. We also share the Koch brothers’ view that for those accused of a crime, the only fair road to justice is through an attorney ready, willing and able to fight for his or her clients, all the way to trial if necessary.
But what we find in Columbus is not only are many so-called criminal defense lawyers untrained, but even when they have a client with a solid defense, they refuse to go to trial, face a jury, and do what they are supposed to do – defend their client’s rights.
If your attorney is not trial proven, and does not want to become trial proven, then he or she should question whether writing wills or handling estates might be a better way to make a living.
When you go about hiring a criminal defense lawyer, you need to weed out those who avoid trial like the plague. The best way to do that is to carefully examine his or her record and experience defending serious criminal cases.
The best lawyers in Columbus are proud of their record and willing to provide a list of serious Columbus criminal cases they have tried before a jury and won.
Capable criminal defenseattorneys are proud of their record, and eager to share it. Mediocre ones are not. When questioning your lawyer, recognize that prior wins cannot predict future results. But also realize that a defense lawyer with a proven trial record is almost always better equipped to favorably resolve your case, whether through trial or plea negotiations.
We applaud the Koch brothers for their concern for the rights of the accused. We hope they continue to contribute to the NACDL to train more dedicated criminal defense lawyers to effectively defend those accused of breaking the law.