When looking for an attorney, you should try to find the best “trial” attorney possible; even if you’re just looking for a lawyer who can get you the best “deal.”  And the reason is simple; the better the defense attorney is in trial, the less likely it is that the prosecutor will want to take it that far.  This results in better offers from the prosecutor and can sometimes result in outright dismissals of the case.  As a former supervising deputy district attorney, Mr. Kuhnen knows that prosecutors are always concerned about how well they will do in trial against a seasoned criminal defense attorney.  At the Law Office of A. Todd Kuhnen we approach each case as if it will go to trial.

Imagine you’re sitting in the courtroom, and the trial on your case is about to begin. As you look around one side of the room you see the Judge, court clerks, the court reporter, and the District Attorney. Then you look at the jury box where you see 12 people (and maybe a few alternate jurors), and they are all looking at you. And then you look at your attorney, and it hits you that this person represents the ONLY way you can communicate with ANY of the people you just saw in court. And you start asking yourself several questions:

  • Is he confident?
  • What does the jury think of him?
  • Why is his suit a mess?
  • What about the long hair and pierced ear?

And the list goes on and on!

Simply put, when you hire an attorney, you want to find a person that will command respect in the courtroom. This quality will affect every aspect of your case from the minute you are arraigned, and quite possibly before that time, too.

Keep in mind that the District Attorney handling your case, whomever they may be, is just a person. And like all people, they have their own insecurities and concerns about how well they’ll do in trial. Mr. Kuhnen knows this because he used to work with them, and in many cases, trained them as their supervisor. He has seen first hand how some deputy district attorneys will handle a case differently when they are concerned about going up against a defense attorney who is good in trial.  Remember this when you are meeting with attorneys to find representation.


Telephone: (916) 318-6562

E-Mail: Todd@ATKLegal.com