I’ve worked with clients at every stage of the federal criminal justice system—indictment, sentencing, prison, and post-release. One thing I can tell you for sure: The people who end up in the best position aren’t necessarily the ones with the most remorse or the sharpest legal strategy.
It’s the ones who can show the court who they really are—beyond the crime.
If you’re in the middle of this process, I’m going to make something clear. This isn’t about sounding good or showing the court you’ve done some self-improvement reading. This is about showing the judge that you understand what went wrong and why it won’t happen again. It’s about giving them a reason to believe that you’ve really changed.
So, let’s get to it: Do you know what you stand for?
Why Knowing Your Values Matters More Than You Think
A lot of people give vague answers when I ask them about their values. “I believe in family.” “I try to do the right thing.” “I’ve always worked hard.”
But when we dig a little deeper, things start to shift. The truth comes out. They might have compromised those values—sometimes without even realizing it. Not because they were bad people, but because they drifted away from their core beliefs. That drift is where the real work begins.
When you’re going through this process, it’s not enough to just say you care about something—like family, integrity, or hard work. You need to show it. And, if you haven’t been showing it, now’s the time to face that reality and take action. Otherwise, your defense doesn’t stand a chance.
What Judges Really Want to Hear
Judges are tired of hearing empty apologies. They’ve seen it all. What they’re really looking for is a reason to believe that you’ve turned the corner. One judge once told me, “A good narrative shows me what the defendant actually believes—not what they think I want to hear.”
In other words, actions speak louder than words. And the actions that are most important aren’t the ones you promise to take in the future; they’re the ones you’re taking right now.
Let me give you an example: If you claim you value honesty but you’ve spent the last year minimizing your role in the offense, the judge will see right through that. If you claim to care about your family but haven’t sent them a single letter or made any effort to rebuild those relationships, your words will be hollow.
My Own Wake-Up Call: When I Stopped Hiding From My Values
I didn’t start this journey with a perfect record. When I was indicted, I had already abandoned my values long before the FBI showed up.
It wasn’t that I was stealing money or lying to clients. But I wasn’t acting with integrity. I knew the decisions being made in my office were wrong, but I justified staying silent because I liked my income, my status, and the lifestyle that came with it.
When I finally owned up to it—when I started writing about what I really stood for and how I’d strayed from that path—it changed everything. I realized that you can’t build a solid defense if you’re still hiding from who you really are.
The Values Reflection Grid: A Tool for Building Your Defense
One of the first exercises I have clients do is called the Values Reflection Grid. It comes from the Mitigation Workbook that we use in our community, and it’s a powerful tool to help you reflect on your values and where things went wrong. Here’s how it works:
- Values I Believed I Had Before the Offense: Write down the core values you claimed to have (e.g., honesty, family, work ethic, etc.)
- How I Compromised Them: Reflect on how you strayed from those values. Did you make excuses? Did you ignore red flags? Did you take shortcuts?
- How I’m Rebuilding Them: Document the steps you’re taking now to rebuild those values. This could include actions like writing letters, studying books, performing community service, or other concrete steps.
You can’t just say you value growth. You need to show what you’re doing to grow. You can’t just say you care about people. You need to show what you’re doing for someone else.
A Real-World Example From Our Community
I remember working with a CPA who got caught up in a fraud case. For a long time, he kept saying, “I was just trying to help my clients.”
But his records told another story. He had cut corners and ignored red flags. It wasn’t until we worked through his values that he admitted the truth: “I wanted to win. I wanted to be the guy who could fix any problem. That was more important than being honest.”
Once he owned that, we had something real to work with. Something a judge could believe. He wrote it into his personal narrative, and the judge even referenced it at sentencing. While he didn’t walk away unscathed, the judge said she believed his work was sincere. That’s the kind of credibility that values can bring—when they’re real.
Don’t Just List Values—Prove Them
Here’s where so many people mess up. They say things like, “I value faith.” “I value accountability.” But then you look at their calendar, and none of that shows up.
If your sentencing memo talks about accountability but you haven’t shown how you’ve lived that value—if you haven’t taken concrete steps to rebuild trust—then it’s just fluff.
You have to connect your values to your actions. If you value faith, show where you’re attending services or studying religious texts. If you value service, show the hours you’ve volunteered. If you value self-awareness, show what you’ve written, what you’ve learned, and how that’s changed your behavior.
Final Thoughts: The Real Work Starts Now
Values aren’t just words you throw in a letter to sound good. They’re the bones of your narrative. Judges don’t care about what you say you believe—they want to see what you’ve built. And the only way to start building is by identifying what really matters to you—and showing, day by day, that you’re living it.
So, what do you stand for?
Your answer to that question might be the first honest thing a judge hears in your entire case.
Justin Paperny
P. S. If this resonates, join our team this Monday at 1 p.m. Pacific, 4 p.m. Eastern. We host a free webinar to answer questions, share lessons from real cases, and help you avoid the most costly mistakes people make during a government investigation. Bring questions. Come ready to learn.
