If you’ve recently been charged with a misdemeanor, a felony or multiple violations of criminal law, it’s important to be as proactive as you can when constructing a defense. Tackling this tough situation head-on may seem like an impossible task. However, doing so is worth your courage and your effort.
It is well understood that when humans are confronted with significant, acute stress, they instinctually respond with a “fight or flight” mentality. In recent years, it has been widely acknowledged that there is a third approach that the human body can assume as a matter of stress-related instinct. This approach is to “freeze.”
Fight, flight or freeze
If you’re hesitating to deal with the situation at hand, your instincts may have not told you to fight or to flee. Your instincts may be keeping you rooted to the spot, wishing that this challenge would resolve on its own, trying to ignore your reality and feeling incapable of tackling the need to mount a defense to the charges you’re facing head-on.
If your instincts have told you to “freeze,” it’s important to understand that this doesn’t make you weak, irresponsible, lazy, uncaring or unmotivated. It makes you human.
What’s next?
Texas treats the subject of criminal justice with great seriousness. If you don’t push yourself to “fight” instead of “freeze,” prosecutors will aggressively pursue the charges against you and you’ll be forced to endure the consequences of that imbalanced situation.
In addition to potentially serving a term of imprisonment, you could face fines, community service requirements, the suspension of your driver’s license, mandatory treatment, probation and the practical consequences associated with living with a criminal record.
Don’t go down without a fight. If your instincts are telling you to freeze, that is normal. But it is also in your best interests to do all you can to unfreeze and start taking action to protect your rights and your future.