Dealing With the Hurt and Anger

In some cases, when we meet a new client or parents who have lost children they are very angry. It is very understandable. Their lives were changed forever by criminal acts of the defendant. A person was was speeding, drunk, on drugs, and/or driving when they shouldn’t have been on the road. Often the anger is a cover for a deep hurt.

We sometimes have limited ability to help. This would be such a better business if we could make people better, go back and stop them from being out that day, or even help in some kind of eye-for-an-eye justice. Thing is that most people really don’t want that.

Justice is some sort of balance or restoration to their life, help with making sure the prosecuted understands what their loss is, help with the paperwork dealing with restitution or victim impact statements. I think back to a defendant’s two week criminal trial that I sat through and one of the questions the jury asked the judge was if I was there to help the family who had lost their son. The judge confirmed it and indicated that even though there was a criminal acquittal, the jury was heartened by the thought that the family would still have some way to protect themselves.

Proper representation and someone who can be there at the time of need may help with the anger.