I’m running my first marathon this weekend up in St. Louis. I’m not too excited about it and only signed up for it 2 days ago. I haven’t trained much; I’ve ran a 10k once about a year ago, a few 8 mile runs here and there, and one 13.1 a week ago. I used to enjoy running…I’d wake up and go for 4 miles in the morning; it was relaxing and a great way to start the day. In the end, almost my entire office is doing this marathon so I decided to play too.
Criminal justice is a lot like picking an easy run or a long marathon. Most clients want the easy run; they want the best plea bargain possible and to move on with their life. But some clients do not get good plea offers and they are forced to run the marathon. Trials are a very slow process; intentionally so. All the facts need to be discovered (witness interviews/depositions, crime scene investigations, etc.). All the law needs to be researched (statutes, case law, etc.). Pretrial motions, hearings, and arguments are abound. This process takes months, sometimes years; it is a marathon to prove one’s innocence.