Seriously, if you are that compelled to represent yourself, go for it. Buckle down and be certain that—worst-case scenario—you are going to be the most shockingly good pro se defender to ever lose a case in that judge’s court.
We talked about a few of the many instances when you might really need an attorney. It’s a hard old world, full of opportunities to just screw it all up, over and over again. You learn the hard way that no one warns you beforehand, “Oh, shit, you will end up needing a lawyer if you do that.”
I could bottom-line all those moments just by saying, “Be careful out there.” This isn’t Hill Street Blues, though, and most people are a little more careful than not. Life just has a messed-up way of surprising us sometimes.
While we’ve been under the hood tinkering with everything from bench warrants to homicide, I’ve tried to keep one simple theme thumping along, like the hook of a pop song from the eighties. Preparing for legal ordeals means just that: preparing. It’s my business and my pleasure to talk strategy, every day. A typical suburban dad in his eco-conscious SUV may come close to this mind-set the day of his fantasy football draft, sure, but past that it won’t occur to him.
And when it comes to avoiding temptation? People come into a law office, they sit down to discuss their case, and we lawyers start to see the bumpy, potholed, and winding roads that led them to us. That’s why folks need new beginnings.
New beginnings are marvelous creatures. Even better than a visit from the Tooth Fairy or Easter Bunny or whatever mythical creature validated your childhood. No one should take advantage of anyone else to get a fresh start, though. And once you put the right foot forward, you’ve got the chance to look back on what you did before and see where you could’ve sat out an inning and maybe not broken your pelvis stealing third base.
Wherever you are, whatever the situation—when you have to make the acquaintance of one of the brave and hardworking members of your local law enforcement community, the thing you need to remember before the cogs of justice start grinding away is this: seal your lips and lawyer up.
In the meantime, carpe diem with the cuffs off while I go tango with Lady Justice.
About the Author
SAUL GOODMAN, ESQ., is Albuquerque’s most savvy criminal lawyer. A sharp-witted graduate of the University of American Samoa Law School, he prides himself on defending the rights of the little guy and helping his clients realize their full potential.
Learn more about Saul Goodman & Associates at www.BetterCallSaul.com. Or sign up for email updates here.
You can sign up for email updates on Steven E. Huff here.
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Copyright
THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin’s Press.
DON’T GO TO JAIL! Copyright © 2016 by TM & © 2016 by Sony Pictures Television, Inc. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Cover design by David Curtis
Cover photograph © 2015 Sony Pictures Television Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Goodman, Saul, (Fictitious character), author.
Title: Don’t go to jail!: Saul Goodman’s guide to keeping the cuffs off / Saul Goodman.
Description: First edition. | New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2016.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015043622| ISBN 9781250078872 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781466891401 (e-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Better call Saul (Television program)—Miscellaneous. | Lawyers—Humor. | BISAC: HUMOR / Form / Parodies. | PERFORMING ARTS / Television / General.
Classification: LCC PN1992.77.B455 G68 2016 | DDC 791.45/72—dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015043622
e-ISBN 9781466891401
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First Edition: April 2016