Another Quiet Defense Victory

Most victories in criminal defense work are very quiet. Nothing in the newspaper or on the radio. Many are worked out by agreements with prosecutors and plead-out before a judge in the, proverbial, dead-of-night. No one hears about them but the office staff. And the only recognition for a job well done is the thanks of a loving mother and the gratitude of a relieved client. That's enough . . . it needs to be enough.

We concluded a very important case last week in which my client was indicted for sexual assault of a child. The potential long-term damage to my client involved sex offender registration, conviction, a destroyed career, and limitless unintended consequences. He was a teenaged boy who meet a teenaged girl on the Internet. They got together one day and had sex. My client confessed. The problem was he was 19 years old and the girl was 15. In Texas, that is a felony offense.

The sexual assault indictment was ultimately dismissed by the prosecutor and I owe him thanks for that concession. In exchange, my client accepted a plea agreement for a misdemeanor offense of assault. No sex offender registration. No destroyed career. Two years probation and big fine was the worst of it.

It took four years to resolve, but in the end my client was pleased. His parents relieved. It was a quiet victory plead-out in the dead-of-night. No newspaper article, no radio coverage. Just a happy client and family. It was enough for this week.