Rohrer says don’t talk, but they don’t listen
By Bob Robinson

GREENVILLE – The police don’t like it when local attorney David Rohrer tells his clients “don’t talk to the cops!”

“I don’t know why,” Rohrer said, laughing. “They don’t listen to me.”

They always think they can talk themselves out of it, he added.

“What you see on TV is true,” he said. “Cops are allowed to lie to you… do whatever they have to do to get you talking. Get a confession. They separate you and one of you may be in one room sound asleep but in the other room they’re telling you he’s singing his heart out to get you to talk.”

Rohrer pulled one of his cards out and held it up. He said he used to tell his clients their Constitutional rights on the back. They didn’t read it. Now he puts appointment times on the back so they don’t forget to come see him. He didn’t say whether or not they read that.

“If my clients didn’t talk, I’d probably have 60 percent fewer cases,” he said.

Rohrer admitted to loving trial work, noting it’s just a show… whoever puts on the best show.

“A trial is just telling your story better than the other person.” He acknowledged, however, the facts have to be on your side.

He used to dislike jury selection, but has changed his mind.

“That’s the most important part of the trial. Come across as a nice guy? They say ‘I think I’ll listen to him’.”

Rohrer hit a more somber note regarding the increase in drugs and property crimes.

“It’s sad,” he said. “These types of crimes have increased exponentially. This is a nice city, but it isn’t as safe as it was 20 years ago.”

What happened?

“Section 8 housing happened,” Rohrer said, adding “they didn’t think this out.” There was talk about senior housing…

“What? Someone screwed up!!” he said, adamantly. That wasn’t the way it was going to happen. “It’s not like you’ve got to do it!... think Versailles!”

Rohrer talked about the crimes that used to require prison and now don’t… “Judge (Jonathan) Hein’s hands are tied. Our prisons are overcrowded… besides, keeping someone in prison costs $30,000 to $40,000 a year. Pay more taxes or don’t send them to prison. Your choice!”

He didn’t think it was a bad idea… “Get out of prison? Be a better criminal?” but noted lifestyle changes had to be made.

“You break your chain of friends,” he said. “You become who you hang out with… the monitoring program? All good stuff.

“Get a third or 50 percent of these people to change their lifestyles, you’d see a huge drop in crime!”

Rohrer says his clients always make the decision. When they ask “what are my chances?” his response is, at best, 50-50.

He tells his clients he will fight for them, but…

“At the end of the day I get to pack up my things and go home. You may or may not.”

Published courtesy of The Early Bird