In the midst of all the chaos, an unnamed public defender stood next to Mr. Castro, and while lightly placing her hand on his shoulder, whispered something in his ear. I don’t know what was said. It doesn’t matter. At that moment, while a disgusted nation was eager to lynch him, one lone criminal defense attorney stood by his side to represent him.

Not only was that criminal defense attorney representing Mr. Castro, but that criminal defense attorney was also standing up for the indispensable principle that in a free society, nobody gets locked away in prison without competent representation, due process and a fair trial. It is a hard thing to do, and it warmed my heart to see. I smiled as I proudly went to court that same day to zealously advocate for a man who pled guilty to a horrendous sex crime.