Managing expectations
I remember reading about a once famous television soap-opera actor who played an unpleasant character in his show. He complained that people couldn’t disassociate the actor from his character and little old ladies would routinely harangue him for his character’s antics. In a modified form I suffer the same problem with people who cannot disassociate the television portrayal of the courts, lawyers and legal process from the reality. This belief that the TV accurately portrays the Criminal Justice System gives people completely unrealistic expectations of what can reasonably be done for them. One chap telephoned me recently sounding like he had just stepped out of da hood. After providing no more information than that he had been charged with drink driving he demanded to know “how we gonna beat this thing?” I assume he’s seen lawyers on TV fabricating defences for clients, although there are some lawyers in this country who do just that! Another...