Orange County Judges and Attorneys Aren't Just Officers of the Court: We're People Just Like You

What most people know about the law comes from movies and TV shows. Courtroom dramas often condense and distort the legal process to serve the needs of, well, drama. A real court case consists of a lot more waiting and delays than you're likely to see in any procedural. However, one thing that media portrayals of the courts often get right is that lawyers and judges are actual people just like everyone else and have personal issues and flaws that interfere with their ability to carry out their duties properly.

Like anyone else, officers of the court (that is lawyers, judges, police officers, clerks, really most people who work in the legal system or in law enforcement) are expected to maintain a certain degree of professional conduct. You've probably had to work with someone you weren't that fond of. I'll bet you kept it professional. Most people do, but everyone has their limit, even judges and lawyers.

For example, last month the judge who was to preside over the murder trial of Daniel Patrick Wozniak in Orange County, recused himself because he felt he had become biased against Wozniak's public defender. Public Defender Scott Sanders has now asked that the new judge in the case recuse himself because the judge might be called as a witness in another legal action Sanders is involved in, and may even seek to have the trial relocated to Los Angeles county.

We want our judges to be impartial, we want prosecutors who operate in a transparent manner, we want defense attorneys who give their clients the best possible defense. But our legal system also acknowledges the possibility of a conflict of interest and of human error. This why officials can remove themselves from a case if there is a danger that it might affect their impartiality. It's also why defendants are allowed to appeal a verdict on the grounds of courtroom misconduct or inadequate defense.

It's also why it's important for a criminal defense attorney to maintain good professional relationships with judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement. I've worked in Orange County courts since 1999, and in that time, I've made my firm a fixture in the local legal scene. When you hire us, we can help you deal with police and prosecutors because we've built up strong working relationships with them.

As an Orange County criminal defense attorney, maintaining high standards of professional conduct and personal ethics is an important part of my job. Which is why I'm proud to belong to the Robert A. Banyard Inn of Court, and other professional organizations aimed at maintaining those standards within the court system. Last year, I was named one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the country by The National Trial Lawyers.

Everyone who comes to my firm can expect to receive the best possible defense against any kind of criminal charge. We aren't afraid to take on difficult or high profile cases, and we know the strategies that work in Southern California courtrooms.

Over the years, I've been able to grow my practice to include offices in Irvine, Newport Beach, and Garden Grove in order to better serve Orange County's diverse local population. If English is not your first language, we are more than happy to provide foreign language assistance in order to better provide for your defense.

So if you ever need the services of a criminal defense attorney in Orange County, or anywhere else in Southern California, I'd like to invite you go call Law Office of Michael L. Guisti at (714) 530-9690 or to contact us through our website. We'll do everything in our power to help you through a difficult time.