The real deal in behavioral analysis

I worked in the upper echelons of criminal defense for 15 years, including 5 years in death penalty defense. Few people realize that death penalty defense is rarely about guilt or innocence, at least for the lawyers…. It’s sometimes hard to bring the client along. In a particularly tough case we reached out to one of our experts who has contacts in the FBI’s BAU Unit. It’s too long a story to record here, but what they suggested we do with our client sounded like cockamamie. Let’s just say it involved having our client signing paperwork for court everyday from the attorney and a very fancy, mystical looking pen the lead attorney bought for$30. Our client was not allowed to use because it was only for signing “important documents.” But we were desperate and willing to try anything and our experts saw the psychology behind it. Unbelievably, our client finally agreed to take a plea, but only if he could use the pen. The work people like Lara Richard do is invaluable, not only to the police, but also to defense attorneys trying to balance everyone’s interests to come to a conclusion that is as just as possible. Our client? He pled to LWOP. So he could sign the plea deal with a $30 pen. Understanding what motivates people IS the magic sauce of life and Lara Richards has it.