![]() The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How Approach To Criminal Court Character Letters In short – a character reference explains to the Judge who the Defendant really is, rather than allowing others in the criminal justice system to negatively define the Defendantby his or her conviction. If well written, as further described below, character letters have the potential to make a major difference in the final result of the case. Judge’s who are provided ONLY information from the DA or the Pre-Sentence Report, have a limited and somewhat one sided source of information.īecause there is really no way to climb into the mind of a DA or a Judge, there is no perfect method for measuring the final effect of these letters – but one thing is for sure – they cannot hurt the Defendant’s case. While letters from only relatives are better than no letters at all – the most impactful letters are from people outside the Defendant’s family who may impress the judge with their insights of the Defendant and their inside knowledge of who this Defendant really is (See WHO below).Ĭharacter letters are a way to persuade a Judge, who is always hungry for information upon which he or she may make an informed decision, to be more compassionate and lenient on the Defendant. I encourage my clients – in appropriate cases – (where letters really can make a difference) to begin to gather at the very start of the case as many character letters from the most letters credible people they know anc can find. If the case is set for sentencing where the Judge has discretion in making the sentencing decision, there is no question that Judges read these character letters and I believe they almost always impact the Judge’s final sentencing decision. My answer is always the same – if a case is in negotiations – character letters can help to obtain the best plea offer. My clients routinely ask me whether character reference letters will actually make a difference and help their case. ![]() Will Character Letters Really Make A Difference? While I have written on the subject of character letters in criminal cases before – and there are many excellent online sources to use, I decided to write a more comprehensive guide to writing character letters for my clients and for any others out there who could use this important information. This article is intended to be a comprehensive guide to help those who want to write letters for your Colorado criminal case to help them understand the components of a “successful”character letter. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer – AttorneyĬharacter Letters – A Guide From A Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer– Character letters in Colorado criminal cases DO make a difference. Character Letters – A Guide From A Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyerīy H.
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