Ray Hrdlicka – Host – Attorneys.Media
“How long have you been practicing law?”
Stuart Kirchick– Criminal Defense Attorney – Santa Clara County, CA
“32 years, 33 years.”
Ray Hrdlicka – Host – Attorneys.Media
“You had to think about that a second.”
Stuart Kirchick– Criminal Defense Attorney – Santa Clara County, CA
“I did. I’m not good at math, which is why I went to law school.”
Ray Hrdlicka – Host – Attorneys.Media
“There you go. So, I have a question. Obviously, we knew each other a couple of decades when we first met. So, what has changed in your approach to the law, from let’s say, 30 years ago to today? How do you approach a case differently?”
Stuart Kirchick– Criminal Defense Attorney – Santa Clara County, CA
“With a lot more knowledge and experience! No, it’s honestly…that’s the truth to that answer. I mean, after…it took a good ten years to…five years to feel really confident going into a court and knowing how to navigate through things.
I think my approach, first and foremost, is to realize that the people I’m dealing with in court, everyone who’s in that courtroom, the clerk, the bailiff, the court reporter, the judge and the DA, are all people, you know, and they all have…they come with their own baggage, their own human emotions, their own character traits. And to me, I just want to realize…I approach it like I’m going to be friendly, congenial to everyone in that courtroom.
Because I’m going to tap into that human emotion where at least I’ll do my job zealously, but leave. And the parties and everyone I mentioned is going to say, you know, he’s a nice guy. You know, because what are they going to do for the nice guys versus the mean guys? And to me, that’s just really important kind of something. My mom worked in the court system as a Spanish interpreter, and I saw how she got along with everyone in court as a really sweet lady. And I just saw how it benefited, you know, what she did for the court system. So, that’s sort of my philosophy.”