THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT RECOGNIZES THE CRITICAL ROLE OF A DEFENDANT'S COMMUNICATIONS WITH DEFENSE COUNSEL.

“The reasonableness of counsel's actions may be determined or substantially influenced by the defendant's own statements or actions.”

Source: Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 691 (1984), is a decision of the United States Supreme Court. The citation identifies the case and the specific page where the quoted statement appears. You can search for “Strickland v. Washington” online to read the Court's opinion.

Why This Matters

The United States Supreme Court recognized that information supplied by a criminal defendant can substantially influence counsel's decisions, including decisions concerning the investigation of potential defenses. The Court further acknowledged that examining communications between the defendant and counsel may be critical when subsequently evaluating counsel's decisions.

How Anthony Scrivener Group Assists

Anthony Scrivener Group provides structured, non-attorney communications services designed to assist criminal defendants in actively participating in their defense through organized, substantive, and documented communications with defense counsel.

Through our communications process, defendants can identify and articulate their questions, concerns, factual information, and requested matters for counsel's consideration. These communications are organized, prepared, and transmitted in a manner that establishes a documentary record of the information conveyed.

This process serves two important purposes: facilitating meaningful communications between the defendant and defense counsel, and preserving a contemporaneous record of those communications that may become relevant if counsel's decisions or actions are subsequently examined.