R. John Manuelian’s first pro bono job as a Defense Attorney was defending his younger brother at home, and trying to keep him out of trouble with their parents. It was fruitful training for young John because he realized he had a talent for debating – on any subject. He thought of his skill as “Verbal Judo,” and instantly became passionate and obsessed with the art of the argument. Using his quick mind and even faster oratory skills, John honed his craft of poking holes, tearing apart and completely dismantling the theories of anyone foolish enough to engage him in a dispute.
Atty. R.J. Manuelian is an artist, make no mistake about that. He takes his job very seriously; devouring the arguments of Prosecutors and regurgitating it back to them in his characteristic aggressive, spit-fire style, and making them doubt their entire case. Jurors sit up in their chair when he takes the floor of a courtroom, knowing they’re going to see fireworks – and he doesn’t disappoint them.
ATTORNEY R. JOHN MANUELIAN: “I look at my clients as good people who’ve sometimes made bad mistakes, and I use the metaphor of a movie reel – you can’t judge a movie by one scene; you have to look at everything that’s come before, and what’s come after that one moment in time before you make a decision on that person’s life.”
HW: “What is it about being a Lawyer that excites you so much?”
ATTY. MANUELIAN: “I think just the thought of one individual in a suit and tie being able to give someone their freedom. I’m the key to whether or not my client gets to go home and see their family at the end of the day – that’s what keeps me going.”
HW: “I read that you were involved in one of the biggest drug cases in the history of the United States; a 13 million dollar ‘Ecstasy’ drug sting; your client didn’t receive any prison time, and ended up getting deported back to the Czeck Republic. ”
ATTY. MANUELIAN: “My client was essentially the ‘fall guy’ for these Federal Prosecutors, and I wasn’t going to let that happen. My job is to really be the ‘checks and balance’ of the judicial system, and make sure my clients did not have their constitutional rights violated.”
HW: “You know a lot of people in the public have a certain perception about Criminal Defense Attorneys as only defending guilty people. How do you respond to that?”
ATTY. MANUELIAN: “First of all, my clients are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, but everyone has a negative connotation about someone accused of a crime until they’re accused themselves – then they’re going to want an Attorney like me who won’t judge them, I’ll only look at the facts and tell them what they’re up against. I’m 100% honest with my clients about what I can accomplish for them in court.”
HW: “Now, you also do a lot of Pro Bono police cases.”
ATTY. MANUELIAN: “I’ll take those cases in a minute. If I see someone who truly has no prior history of committing a crime, and they’ve been victimized by the police, I feel I have to take that case. It’s like a Beverly Hills doctor who sees someone hurt on the sidewalk as they’re walking into a restaurant – are they going to just walk by them, or are they going to help? For me, I’m always on shift.”
HW: “24/7?”
ATT. MANUELIAN: “I look at life as a huge chess match – it’s all about setting your position and always thinking 10 steps ahead of your opponent; and if they make a mistake you have to capitalize on that, and to be able to do that at your best, you have to live it, breathe it and eat it every day. I’ve had clients who write me letters saying, ‘Thank you so much, John, for believing in me.’ That’s what it’s really about for me. I’m fighting for people’s lives, and I tell the jury every time: ‘Before you vote, you need to ask yourself whether you can wake up years from now after finding my client guilty and feel comfortable with the fact that you didn’t have a reasonable doubt in your mind that he committed the crime, because if you will most likely second guess your decision, then it will be too late to undue your mistake which cost my client his freedom.’”
HW: “How does your wife feel about the compulsion you have for being the best?”
ATTY. MANUELIAN: “Well, put it like this, when we’re at dinner and I’m arguing with her over why we should have white tea instead of green tea, she just smiles because at this point, she knows this is who I am.”
(213) 996-8463 CRIMINAL DEFENSE MANUELIAN