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A commenter asked recently why I hadn’t written about the Joe Amendola circus. I haven’t felt inspired because, like Scott Greenfield says, “It’s not that being critical of Joe Amendola is the sort of thing any criminal defense lawyer wants to do.”
But “It’s just that it can’t be helped.”
Greenfield writes in Amendola, The Tactician:
As for Joe Amendola, he’s a complete disaster, a laughingstock, at crisis management and media relations. He may have gotten more attention than he ever dreamed possible for a hick, but unless he ends up having a talent that will get him on the X Factor, he’s doomed himself and his client by his constant missteps.
When thinking about managing a client’s crisis, if you don’t have extensive experience dealing with the media, you must ask yourself: what would Winston Wolf do?
Govern yourself accordingly.
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Where does one begin with Amendola? In my comment I neglected to berate him for hinting — as the victims piled on — that his client might have to consider a guilty plea because of the weight of the evidence. Reminds me of the courtroom sentencing scene in “The Producers” where Gene Wilder stands up and says about co-defendant Zero Mostel, “Your Honor, this is the most selfish man I’ve ever met!” Mostel tugs his sleeve and whispers, “Don’t help me!” Can it get any worse? You bet — just wait for the trial. He has now reversed course completely and says there’s going to be no guilty plea because “this is a fight to the death.” Guess he should be thankful there’s no death penalty for rape in Pennsylvania. Stay tuned for more (shudder) hilarity from the man with the plan, Joe Amendola.
How certain are we that he knows this?
If I’m charged with a crime, I don’t want “a fight to the death.” If the fight is “to the death,” I’m doomed. Between the State and me, there’s only one who can die.
Next time I talk to TV cameras about a client’s case, I’m going to say, “There will be no guilty plea. This is a fight to the pain.”
When a lawyer appears to put his own chance for national publicity ahead of protecting his client that lawyer is no longer acting as a lawyer. When a lawyer appears to trade his client’s liberty interest for 15 minutes of air, that lawyer is a disgrace.
Regarding Winston Wolf, taking charge of a “client” in no-uncertain terms isn’t an easy thing to do. Therein lies the “tao of criminal-defense trial lawyering” as Mark puts it. The Zen moment. As in my case, I was scared out of my wits. And, it wasn’t an easy thing for my attorney to do, to take charge. But, that is what is required.