The Best Criiminal Defense Lawyers in Utah Include the Most Colorful, Outspoken Advocates when Your Ass is On The Line.

It's sometimes validating and more often with grim acceptance, that I hear what other lawyers and judges are saying about me. After our recent victory at the Utah State Supreme Court in the State vs. Branson Parduhn case, you might think that prosecutors or lawmakers would be upset. In gaining this powerful victory for the poor, those who cannot afford to hire an attorney, or who lose their job while their case is pending, the Parduhn victory gives a giant Jesus-ray of hope.

By this same token, Utah's cities and counties will need to pony up more money for criminal defense costs for indigent defendants. When my partners, Jonathon W. Grimes and Sean Hullinger met with the Salt Lake County Council last week, to give an overview of the ramifications of the Parduhn case, Council member David Wilde, a fellow member of the Class of 1985 at the University of Utah College of Law, asked, "So, you guys work with Ed Flint? He's a very colorful character" or words to that effect, and added that he thought I was "a damn fine lawyer." Other fellow classmate Mark Shurtleff, Utah's thrice elected Attorney General, was a bit more blunt, of course, recalling all of the times I have castigated him for seeking publicity, that "Ed Flint is a name you only hear when your ass is on the line," and probably added under his breath, "or whenever someone is criticizing me in public."

I note with great anticipation that two other elected lawmakers from the Utah Class of 1985 have yet to so comment on their old classmate.  Brian King is a Democratic Representative to the Utah House and a leader among the handful of Democrats left in the Utah Legislature.  Greg Hawkins is the Salt Lake County Auditor, an office just about nobody has heard of, and even fewer can accurately describe what the hell they do at the County Auditor's Office.  Neither Brian nor Greg have mentioned me (or, at least it hasn't gotten back to me, yet) or my lawyering skills, although I have mentioned them from time to time.

But I digress.  All of these classmates of mine, and many other elected officials are going to have to deal with the cold, hard reality that ALL persons accused of crimes in Utah are protected by the US Constitution and the Utah Constitution, and that if that person is too poor to afford a lawyer OR the defense resources needed to adequately represent him, the government has to pay for it.

And that's a hell of a good job of lawyering when our client's ass was on the line.