Tangi Carter Celebrates 27 Years of Transforming Lives in the Courtroom: A Legacy of 'Humanizing' Criminals

HATTIESBURG, MS / ACCESSWIRE / May 2, 2024 / Criminal defense lawyer Tangi Carter marks 27 years of serving in the courts this year - and she has a special talent for sparing her clients the same amount of time in prison.

With nearly three decades of practicing law, you would be forgiven for thinking that this Hattiesburg criminal defense attorney was old school, but Carter is always embracing creative ways of negotiating reduced sentences for clients she represents.

Even more importantly, Carter employs a hugely powerful tactic in the courtroom to achieve the best possible outcome in cases: humanizing the person standing before the judge.

"If we get the right judge, it can give us a good opportunity to really humanize the client - and take that individual from being a number on the docket to being an actual real-life person with a family, with friends, and someone who has typically faced real difficulties in their life," said Carter.

"It's harder for a judge to send them to prison when they see a human being and not just the charge. After all, we are not the worst thing we've ever done in our lives.

"And so, our main goal - and I think we do a very good job at it - is to humanize the client in relation to the crime. We can then show that, yes there's this theft charge, but they're also a father, son, friend, good employee…and they've done X, Y, and Z for their community."

While the Tangi Carter Law firm is based in Mississippi, Carter often hops across states as she is also licensed to practice law in Louisiana, Florida, and Tennessee.

Being compassionate, empathetic, and "really listening" to clients who have committed a wide range of crimes, from attempted murders to robberies, is a foundation of how Tangi Carter & Associates operates.

Meanwhile, trying her best to make that human-to-human emotional connection between the judge and the accused in the courtroom is also central to Carter's work. She feels that this is badly lacking in the legal profession.

There's a real level of creativity that goes into sentence mitigation measures because every case is different. Some judges are open to reading support statements or hearing witness testimonies on behalf of criminals, whereas others are completely dismissive.

"Sometimes we produce a video of the client, like, a ‘day in their life', and have witnesses testify," explained Carter. "This could be current employers, former employers, and maybe one or two family members in the right circumstances. Most of the mitigation would go to the judge at the time of sentencing.

"It could also be letters, it could be presenting any accolades, or sharing details of anything they've done for their community."

The ‘Day in the Life' video is a fairly unique approach that Carter admitted she hasn't seen utilized very often elsewhere. This can also be useful in many cases where clients are extremely nervous about testifying.

While some judges may watch the footage in the courtroom, or in their backroom private chambers, others are quick to shoot down the video approach, and tell the attorney: "I don't care, I don't want to see it."

Defendant Avoided a 30-Year Jail Term

When asked about a case where video footage being used in mitigation had a big impact, Carter immediately came up with an example.

"I defended a woman who was charged with a sex case, which is rare," explained the attorney. "She was charged with having sex with a student at a high school where she worked. She was not a teacher, but was in a position of authority - and the possible sentence was 30 years.

"That's what typically happens and those cases are day by day. There's no time off for being a good inmate. Thirty years means 30 years."

Carter drove a long distance to the woman's family home before sentencing. After recording a video of the woman with her children, she also filmed a short interview with the kids after receiving the woman's permission.

Thereafter, Tangi pulled records that clearly demonstrated that this school employee had never been in any trouble before, had gone to postgraduate school, was highly intelligent, and had always been a productive member of society.

Due to problems in her marriage, the woman had gone off the rails and made the horrendous mistake of committing a crime that could have cost her three decades of freedom.

Carter said: "Ultimately, she got three years in prison as opposed to 30. Sometimes judges are not interested in our mitigation efforts for sentencing, but this judge actually listened.

"This outcome shows the impact of humanizing the client."

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Contact: Tangi Carter, Esq .
Phone: 601-544-1313
Email: [email protected]

This has been a production of Pro Bono Legal, LLC/LawTegic Agency [email protected]

SOURCE: The Law Firm of Tangi Carter & Associates, P.A.