CASES DON'T MAKE GOOD SYMBOLS.

Milwaukee defense attorney Dean Strang is from the old neighborhood, and years ago I had the opportunity to chat with him about the challenges of defending the most notorious, sometimes the most obnoxiously guilty, clients.  It's really simple.  If the worst defendants don't get a proper defense, which means presenting the case in the best way, or working with the prosecutors on a plea bargain, or ensuring that the prosecutors don't cut corners in a way that might be reversed on appeal, what chance does a more run of the street defendant have with a less prominent attorney?  "Whatever your view of this self-defense acquittal, you'd have to be as prepared to have accepted an acquittal of Gaige Grosskreutz had Kyle Rittenhouse's life ended on the pavement that night," Strang said. "Where that takes me is, it's hard for me to see here how any gun made anybody any safer that night."  We can disagree on that, as there were plenty of property owners protecting their businesses in Kenosha that night.

Good defense counsel is still useful.  For instance, it's possible that Jussie Smollett's counsel weren't as vigorous as they could have been in keeping him from testifying.