Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you.” I am one of those provided attorneys. My mother thinks my career choice is a terrible one. She thinks it provides little income and that helping the dregs of society is a waste of tax money. But, I don’t see criminals when I talk to my clients. I see a man who spent his life being abused by foster parents or a woman who needed to steal groceries for her hungry children. I see the possibility of innocence hidden under the heavy weight of judgment. My latest case involves a woman who tried to steal TV dinners for her three kids by hiding them in her coat. It could have worked, if it wasn’t July. I look over her police statement with a glass of merlot in my hand. I wish people listened more to their Miranda rights and used their right to remain silent.
