Congratulations to Tyler Beach on getting community service with probation rather than prison for a client who expected to go to prison.

Sometimes our role is not to avoid a conviction.  Sometimes people are guilty and that is just what the evidence proves.  When this happened, a defense attorney must pursue the strategy that best protects that client.  Mr. Beach’s client was a driver of a car that was in a single car accident.  The problem was that Mr. Beach’s client was drunk and had passengers.  These facts were not good.  The prosecutor’s position was that Mr. Beach’s client must do a minimum of 13 months of prison.  Mr. Beach got his client into alcohol treatment immediately (two days after his arrest).  By the time Mr. Beach’s client needed to enter a plea, the reports from his treatment providers were so good that the judge agreed to postpone the case another two months to see how well he would do by being allowed to finish that course of treatment.  Two months later, the judge agreed that Mr. Beach’s client showed every indication of taking treatment seriously and dedicating himself to change.  Accordingly, the judge agreed to allow probation rather that prison (with an obligation to continue treatment and to perform community service).  Due to Mr. Beach’s work (and his client taking treatment seriously), his client avoided prison, changed his life to a better one, society saved the cost of imprisoning someone, and society gained a better and safer person.