Speak Up Son!

One of the biggest misconceptions I see in the Harris County Criminal Courthouse is when judges think that a soft spoken person is being disrespectful. I imagine it is because it is difficult to find a criminal trial lawyer that is soft spoken, therefore judges incorrectly assumes that everyone is going to be as vociferous. I must admit that I am one of the loudest talkers at the courthouse. Nevertheless, I do not assume that everyone is going to be as comfortable talking loudly in a court of law like I do. That is why I tell all my clients especially those that are soft spoken that they need to really speak up when they address the court. Otherwise, the court will interpret that as being disrepectul or disinterested in what is going on with their case. It must seem strange to talk loudly in a courtroom for some people, but it becomes necessary because of the acoustics, the chatter that is going on throughout the courtroom, and the fact that some judges have difficulty hearing.