He/They

Neowritings on IG

[merlinswritings]

Criminal Attorney

@neowritings on IG {no reposts}

Hi, welcome (back) to my page! I felt like I want to have a crime theme in the future, with only crime-related posts! However, I am very impatient so here you have the first post!

Disclaimer: These are primarily based on the American justice system and random countries that give me the needed information! Please correct me (kindly) if I'm wrong or should add some things.

Trigger warning: crimes, anything related to crime and law

What is an attorney?

The word kind of has two meanings of the same.

An agent or someone authorized to act for another

A person who has been qualified by a state or Federal Court to provide legal services, including appearing in court.

While countries such as the US tend to classify all practitioners of law under the title of attorney, some countries have developed a tradition of creating titles that help to identify the era of expertise.

The type of legal services provided by an attorney varies, as many attorneys choose to focus their practice on a particular portion of the law

Ex: An attorney may choose to focus on criminal law, while another chooses to build a practice around family law.

The reason there are specializations of degrees is that it helps make it easier for clients to find the right lawyer who has the right knowledge that will prove helpful with a given set of circumstances.

What is criminal law?

Criminal law is a part of law that concerns crimes that are committed against the public authority. It's not the same as civil law, which involves crimes people commit against each other, not necessarily against the whole public.

Ex 1: Civil crimes are like suing your partner for cheating on you and wanting full custody of your child. Or suing a company for not giving the promised things. Ex 2: Criminal law is murder or robbery. It goes against the law. And although there is a specific victim, murder in general runs against the interest of the public.

Three broad types of crimes appear in the criminal code:

Misdemeanors: A crime less serious than a felony - petty, theft, prostitution, intoxication, simple assault, etc.

Felonies: A crime of high seriousness - murder, animal cruelty, tax invasion, robbery, battery, etc.

Treason: The crime of attacking a state of authority to which one owes allegiance - participating in a war against one's native country, (attempting) to overthrow the government, etc

Defense Attorney vs Prosecutor

What is a defense attorney?

A defense attorney is a lawyer who defends a person or business against criminal charges. There are two primary types of these professionals: civil defense attorneys and criminal defense attorneys. Civil defense attorneys represent clients who face fines due to non-criminal lawsuits. Criminal defense attorneys work for clients who may serve jail time if convicted.

What is a prosecutor?

A prosecutor is a lawyer and elected official that represents an individual or an entire body of citizens of jurisdiction when they press legal charges against a person or corporation. Prosecutors are responsible for charging the accused with specific crimes and presenting evidence for members of a jury to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused party is guilty. These professionals are public officers, meaning they represent the district attorney's office, an elected official responsible for criminal prosecutors within a jurisdiction who the government funds with public money.

Then what is the difference?

The difference is that the prosecutor is on the side of the government and the law. Their clients (often cops) have a case against the said-to-be guilty and try to convince the jury that they deserve a specific punishment (usually jail).

A defense attorney has to convince the jury that their client is in fact not guilty, even when they are they still have to make sure there will not be, or as minimal as possible, a punishment.

Criminal defense lawyer

what do they do? (duties)

Investigate the case and interview witnesses

Research case law, statutes, crime codes, and procedural law

Build a defense and develop a case stragety

Negotiate with the prosecution to plea a bargain to lesser charges

Draft, file, and argue motions such as motions to dismiss and motions to surpress

Advocate for the defendant at trual

Draft, file and argue appeals

Do they help the bad guys?

Defense lawyers get hired, they can choose not to do so but will miss out on lawyers. It can so happen they have to prove someone is not guilty, even if they are, and they might win. They also help innocent people from being put with the blame.

Education, Training, Certification:

Education: Like all lawyers, criminal lawyers will first need to complete a bachelor's degree, then get a law degree. Those two degrees typically take a total of 7 years to complete.

License: Criminal Attorneys must pass the bar examination in the state whoch they intend to practice.

Certification: Criminal lawyers earn a board certification from the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification (NBLSC). The NBLSC is a non-profit organization accredited by the American Bar Association to provide board certification for attorneys and is an outgrowth of the National Board of Trial Advocacy.

Skills needed:

Writing and speaking skills: Excellent oral and written advocacy skills in order to argue a client's case and pursuade the jury.

Research and investigative skills: Are important in building a client's case and establishing a strong defense.

Creative and analytical skills: Strong creative thinking and analytical skills to develop a legal strategy, analyze case law and litigate complex cases.

Legal knowledge and experience: In-depth understanding of state, federal, and local rules, court procedures, evidentiary laws, and local judges to navigate the criminal justice system efficiently and competently.

Interpersonal skills: Excellent interpersonal skills are necessary to build a strong client-attorney relationship. Criminal defendants are a finicky group who somethimes go through many lawyers before setting on one they like. Therefore, the ability to attract and retain clients is essential to thriving criminal defense practice.

Fun facts:

salary:

Criminal lawyers employed in law firms generally ern the highest salaries; experienced criminal attorneys can earn well into six figures. The highest-paid criminal lawyers are often those that represent high-profile, wealthy defendants in high-stakes cases.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the salary range for all attorneys, including criminal attorneys, is as follows:

Median Anual Salary: $120,910 ($58.13 /hour) Top 10% Anual Salary: More than $208,000 ($100 /hour) Bottom 10% Anual Salary: Less than $58,220($27.99 /hour) Public Defender and Non-Profit Salaries are usually modest (the $30,000 - $50,000 range is common).

Costs: Costs of legal representation depend on the bureau they work for, or if they are freenlancers. It can even depend on how many cases they have won. Some go by the hour (expect above the $150,- an hour.) and some by a fixed or set fee (will depend on the outcome mostly). Note that you will make a lot of hours with them.

[merlinswritings]

Poetry

@neowritings on IG {no reposts}

Hi there, Today will be a few of my favorite poems that I have written, but they are quite old lol

Disclaimer?: please do not steal any of my work or be negative about it! I don't read a lot of poetry nor write it a lot, it's just a different way of letting out my thoughts.

Words

Words can cut through a soul Like a knife into flesh Words can be an escape Like drugs to an addict

Words can be so pretty And yet so ugly But why is it when I write pretty words All I feel are ugly ones stabbing me

-21/10/18

Obsession

I tried so hard So hard for you to love me I did everything for you So why could it not be me?

When we met, I was your charm You loved and cherished me with all Then you started to blame me, hate me And in the end, I was the one to fall

-2021/11

[merlinswritings]

As a writer....

I should probably be writing

[merlinswritings]

If our mc's would have pets, what would they have?

Oscar - a turtle or dog (german shepherd) Mac - he already has an owl Harvey - he'd just collect animals at this point- but a monkey

[merlinswritings]

If I were my oc... I would probably date the ex villain too after he continuously flirted with me and saved me from an accidental blast being fired my way.

Unfortunately I am not—

[merlinswritings]

Why are there no love playlists with McFly in it?

"If this is love Then love is easy It's the easiest thing to do If this is love Then love completes me"

Love is easy, is the best love song to exist

[merlinswritings]

Do you ever wonder if somewhere in the multiverse your book already existed completely with characters living their lives like in the books?

Me neither..... 🙄

[merlinswritings]

Different types of Anxiety

@neowritings on IG {no reposts}

Introduction

Hi there, I personally struggle with a lot of forms of anxiety, and a few disorders that have anxiety with it as well. I don't have it too bad, for as far as I'm aware, and can cope pretty well.

All my information comes from numerous sites, and my own knowledge as well. This is for writing purposes but can be educational as well.

Anxiety Disorder

Let's get into the meaning of it, shall we? An anxiety disorder is a type of mental health condition. If you have it, you may respond to certain things and situations with fear and dread. You may also experience physical signs of anxiety, like a pounding heart and sweating.

It's perfectly normal to have some anxiety. You may feel anxious or nervous if you have to tackle a problem at work, go to an interview, take a test, or make an important decision.

The difference between normal anxiety and a disorder is how bad it is and whether it prevents you from doing certain things. Such as:

- Anxiety interferes with your ability to function - You often overreact when something triggers your emotions - You can’t control your responses to situations

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

General anxiety is that you feel anxious most of the time. You could say it's like having fear 80% of the time, even when there's nothing to trigger the fear. Writing someone with GAD will be restless, have sleeping problems, never be able to truly concentrate as they always fear the worst.

Panic Disorder

With a panic disorder, it's common to frequently get intense, sudden panic attacks. They will often panic about something that triggers them and they may have feelings of impending doom, shortness of breath, chest pain, or a rapid, fluttering or pounding heart (heart palpitations). These panic attacks may lead to worrying about them happening again or avoiding situations in which they've occurred

Social Anxiety Disorder

describes an intense fear and avoidance of negative public scrutiny, public embarrassment, humiliation, or social interaction. This fear can be specific to particular social situations (such as public speaking) or, more typically, is experienced in most (or all) social interactions.

It could be very hard to work or maintain friendships/relationships, forcing someone with SAD to talk to people they may not know is not a good idea, baby steps are very important with these things.

A good example is Juleka from Miraculous Ladybug the cartoon. If you're writing someone with SAD, know it's different for everyone. Some have it all the time, while for me it comes and goes, I stutter a lot or become mute often.

Agoraphobia

Agoraphobia is the specific anxiety about being in a place or situation where escape is difficult or embarrassing or where help may be unavailable. Agoraphobia is strongly linked with panic disorder and is often precipitated by the fear of having a panic attack. A common manifestation involves needing to be in constant view of a door or other escape route. In addition to the fears themselves, the term agoraphobia is often used to refer to avoidance behaviors that sufferers often develop.

For example, following a panic attack while driving, someone suffering from agoraphobia may develop anxiety over driving and will therefore avoid driving. These avoidance behaviors can often have serious consequences and often reinforce the fear they are caused by. In a severe case of someone with Agoraphobia, they may never leave their home.

General Phobias

I could make a whole post about phobias themselves, but considering I don't have any phobias or big fears myself, would not be the best choice.

Having a phobia, you have an intense fear of that something or somewhat, that is so intense you cannot or can barely live with it.

If you write about a phobia, make sure to have that person trying to avoid it at all costs, or having huge panic attacks dealing with said problem. Of course, people can get over it, but it's a very long process and not an easy one.

Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety disorder is most commonly diagnosed in kids, especially young children. However, adults can also experience this type of anxiety if they have extreme fear about something bad happening to a person in their life.

In children, the symptoms of fear, panic, worry, and anxiety surface when they’re separated from a parent or loved one.

Adults may have extreme fear and worry about something tragic happening to a family member or loved one, even when they’re together.

Sometimes it can be as bad as not being able to have them leave the room without you because you fear something will happen or they will leave you. They might come off as clingy, but really they're just afraid.

Selective Mutism (SM)

SM is a disorder in which a person who is normally capable of speech does not speak in specific situations or to specific people. Selective mutism usually co-exists with shyness or social anxiety. People with selective mutism stay silent even when the consequences of their silence include shame, social ostracism, or even punishment.

Selective mutism affects about 0.8% of people at some point in their life.

Not A Part Anymore

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD used to be under Anxiety but has been moved to trauma instead. People with PTSD experience anxiety related to a traumatic experience that has occurred in the past. It is a long-term condition that can cause symptoms for many years after the event, especially when not treated.

PTSD does not only come from war but also abuse, missing out on things in your youth, a life with hospitals, it can be a lot honestly.

With writing remind yourself with writing realistic symptoms. - Flashbacks - being scared out loud noises - Bad dreams - feelings of tension and anxiety - Frightening thoughts - trouble sleeping - Anger for no apparent reason There are a lot more vivid symptoms one may not realize are. It could be tics that developed, they could be stimming (movements or sounds that stimulate like tapping leg).

A good example is Penelope from One Day at a Time, it is not focused on PTSD perse, but it does tell a lot of interesting things.

Obsessive-Compulsion Disorder (OCD)

This is something that used to be under "neurodivergent" and "anxiety" but is now more alone standing. I do know quite a bit about it, yet not enough. Every case is different, OCD has a lot of different forms.

I'm gonna be honest, it deserved a place in here where it belongs, but I cannot make 5 sentences out of it and how to write it. It will get its own post someday.

OCD is obsession and compulsion. Monica from FRIENDS is a very stereotyped case of OCD. OCD isn't quirky, in bad cases, it can be like: "See that man behind you? It will k!ll the next person that steps on a line" or "If you don't step on the line your whole family will be killed" things like that. Sheldon Cooper (big bang theory) is supposed to be Autistic and has OCD as well (OCD usually goes with more) I personally think they did a good job with autism, but I wouldn't know about the OCD.

Ending

I hope this post was at least a bit helpful, it's been a while since I've made a helpful writing post. I will be doing a lot more, mostly focused on disorders and the brain.

Also, I like pretty colors lol.