Are you looking for a fun way to kill a few minutes when you think the boss isn’t looking, and the company’s firewall restricts access to your favorite website? Google the phrase, “the defendant showed no remorse” and see how many hits you get. I witness this phenomenon firsthand almost every day. When the judge pronounces sentence, either after a trial verdict or as part of a plea bargain agreement, the defendants typically show no emotional response.

A large part of this apathy is “monkey see, monkey do.” That’s the demeanor that fictional and quasi-fictional defendants present on TV, so many of my clients assume they are supposed to behave the same way. Others are in shock after they hear an unfavorable verdict, while others are simply overwhelmed by the process and really have only a vague Read More