Anger, Assaults and Criminal Law

Anger and Assaults: A Criminal Defense Attorneys Prospective.

As criminal defense attorneys | lawyers, we know that anger and assaultive behavior can originate from either physical or psychological roots.  Let’s start with physical.

Head Trauma – Traumatic Brain Injuries and Behavioral Problems

Our criminal defense lawyers | attorneys know that any kind of head trauma: accidents or sports and combat related injuries can produce significant personality changes, anger and frustration. MRIs and brain scans have produced concrete evidence that head trauma can and does drive this behavior.  David Amen, widely publicized at the post-concussion expert for American Football League has been a major proponent of propelling this research to mainstream attention.  His TED talk provides a nice introduction into the concepts.

If you or a loved one has experienced a head trauma and their behavior has become increasingly erratic and has led to criminal consequences, their anger issues may be driven by the physical and chemical changes of this trauma and our office can and will help.

Genetic Defects and Mental Disorders

Not all genetic defects or mental disorders manifest themselves in the same way or in a constant manner.  Everyone knows that as people grow up, they develop, change and go through phases. Anger issues driven by a change, puberty, trauma or just a new phase can be exacerbated by children or adults who suffer from some form genetic defect or mental disorder as their coping mechanisms are limited. We have handled clients or their children who have been diagnosed with everything from fetal alcohol syndrome, Tourette Syndrome, mental disability or retardation, down syndrome and a number of other mental health disorders,PTSD coming from a variety of sources (most commonly combat veterans) and various forms of substance withdraw.  As criminal defense lawyers | attorneys, we are concerned that the criminal system take into account and handle these kinds of cases correctly and we make it our job to fight for this.

Anger as a Coping Mechanism

With men or women, poorly managed anger issues often manifest themselves in either aggressive or passive aggressive behaviors.  That being said, warning signs can manifest themselves in a variety of ways: trouble and conflict at work, increased irritation and shortness with others, road rage, other forms of violence, shortness and yelling with children and friends, isolation, substance use hedging on abuse or outright abuse and of course just walking around angrily and unhappily. The impact of these anger issues can mimic domestic violence but the real issues behind the criminal conduct aren’t power or control, it is something else.  As a very effective counselor we knew once said: anger is the secondary emotion, the primary underlying feeling driving it is the real issue.

The criminal defense lawyers | attorneys in our office have spent years identifying issues, working with our clients, connecting clients with reputable evaluations and professionals and fighting for our clients’ best interests in court in a respectful but committed and dogged manner. As a result, we have an excellent reputation with prosecuting attorneys and courts and we have found this reputation has helped us enormously in the criminal system.

Remember, if you or a loved one is charged with a crime, it is a clear warning that something needs to change.  What needs to be done and how one should go about doing this while minimizing the criminal consequences is why lawyers | attorneys are also called counselors at law. Our criminal defense lawyers know that criminal cases are rarely as simple as the police reports claim and our clients hire us to make sure their rights are protected. Our firm has a strategic combination of courtroom experience, skills, knowledge and temperament. Consultations are free but a poor choice in counsel is not. The first step is an appointment.

Robert Rhodes

With a successful background in law, courtrooms, wrestling, rugby and jujitsu, Robert Rhodes’s nature is well-suited for argument and litigation. Mr. Rhodes knows how to talk clearly and directly to his clients, adversaries and to the Court. His common sense, straight talk and experience put his clients immediately at ease. Mr. Rhodes does not do anything half way and you will sense this when you meet him. Read more >>

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