Next in importance to freedom and justice is popular education, without which neither freedom nor justice can be permanently maintained. ~James A. Garfield, 20th President of the U.S., 19th century
Houston criminal lawyer Jim Sullivan represents and fights in court for many people who dropped out of or were forced out of high school and struggle to earn an honest living to support their family and dependents. These lawyers understand and empathize with those who for family, financial or personal reasons were not able to graduate from high school. However, if these same struggling and poorly educated individuals find themselves in trouble with the law, then law enforcement, prosecutors and judges are usually not so understanding or compassionate. These individuals become “defendants” and enter an overburdened and underfunded criminal or juvenile justice system where–because of budgetary cutbacks and high caseload–the prosecutors and even some judges view them more as just another case, among thousands, clogging their court docket, and not as a distinct and unique human being with intrinsic value. Reduced to a SPN number and labeled a defendant, these fellow Texans and children of the same God become mere statistics in the eyes of many. The prospect of jail or prison and being permanently labeled a criminal can cause them extreme stress and anxiety. Being charged with a crime literally can be the final straw that broke the camel’s back. Already struggling to stay afloat financially, the criminal charge itself can lead to job loss, eviction and financial ruin. Representing and relating to people in such difficult circumstances requires understanding, empathy and kindness. Houston criminal lawyer Jim Sullivan fights for his clients to clear their name and strive to steer them back into obtaining an education, a trade or a skill with which to support themselves.
