Criminal defense lawyers fight Hollywood myths and push for greater protections

Key facts

• Glenn Hardy calls for greater legislative protection for defense attorneys.
• Two Utah lawyers have nearly a century of combined experience in criminal defense.
• Greg Skordas represented Joseph Paul Franklin, who murdered two Black joggers in 1980.
• Skordas's legal team saved Franklin from the death penalty.
• Ed Brass decided to become a criminal defense lawyer in high school after getting into trouble.
• Kathleen Heath gave a TED Talk in 2018 about the stereotype of criminal defense lawyers.
• John Grisham, as a rookie defense attorney, contributed to wrongful convictions.
• Grisham now works to fix wrongful convictions.

A profession under fire

Criminal defense attorneys are often the targets of defendants' rage against the justice system, yet they remain at its forefront. Glenn Hardy, a prominent advocate, is calling for greater legislative protection for these lawyers, who routinely face hostility and misunderstanding. The demand comes as the profession grapples with a public image shaped more by fiction than fact.

The reality behind the stereotype

Two Utah attorneys with nearly a century of combined courtroom experience are pushing back against Hollywood myths. Greg Skordas and Ed Brass, each having represented thousands of clients, describe a profession focused not on getting criminals off but on changing lives and upholding justice. 'If I've done my job, I will never see you again,' Skordas tells his clients, emphasizing rehabilitation over recidivism.

Defending the indefensible

Skordas's career was shaped early by a case that tested the limits of advocacy. While still a law student interning at a firm, he worked on the defense of Joseph Paul Franklin, an avowed white supremacist who murdered two Black joggers, Theodore Fields, 20, and David Martin, 18, in Liberty Park in 1980. The state sought the death penalty, but Skordas's legal team succeeded in sparing Franklin's life. 'The whole case was about saving his life,' Skordas recalled.

A calling born from trouble

Ed Brass knew he wanted to enter criminal defense law in high school, partly because of his own run-ins with the law. He attended law school at the University of Utah in the 1970s, near the end of the Vietnam War, when public service felt imperative. For Skordas, the path was different: he initially studied mining and patent law at the University of Utah before discovering his true calling during the Franklin case.

The cultural currency of the 'wily lawyer'

Criminal defense attorney Kathleen Heath, in a 2018 TED Talk, described the stereotype of the wily lawyer who uses verbal tricks and loopholes to free guilty criminals. 'I came to criminal defense thinking that I was fighting the good fight,' she said, only to find a different public perception. The Utah attorneys laughed at these stereotypes, depicting a reality filled more with redemption than hopelessness.

Acknowledging past failures

Best-selling author John Grisham, a former criminal defense attorney, has admitted that as a rookie he was part of the problem, contributing to wrongful convictions. Now he works to correct those injustices. His journey mirrors a broader reckoning within the legal profession about the balance between zealous advocacy and the pursuit of truth.

The stakes for justice

The call for greater legislative protection for defense attorneys underscores the high stakes of their work. As they navigate cases involving society's most reviled defendants, they argue that a fair fight in court is essential to the integrity of the justice system. Without such protections, the risk of wrongful convictions and eroded public trust grows.

The bottom line

• Criminal defense attorneys face public hostility and stereotypes but play a crucial role in the justice system.
• Glenn Hardy is advocating for legislative protections for defense lawyers.
• Two Utah attorneys with nearly a century of experience emphasize rehabilitation over winning at all costs.
• Greg Skordas helped save the life of a white supremacist murderer, highlighting the principle of zealous defense.
• Ed Brass's personal experience with trouble in high school led him to a career in criminal defense.
• John Grisham acknowledges his role in wrongful convictions and now works to fix them.