"You Help Criminals."

"You Help Criminals."

From White Collar Advice by Justin Paperny

January 22, 2026 · 2 min

About this episode

Justin Paperny reflects on perceptions of individuals with criminal backgrounds and the importance of recognizing their growth beyond past mistakes.

After my daughter's basketball game, someone pulled me aside and said I work with "criminals." Years ago, I would've argued. Now I listen. Before prison, I would've said the same thing. A DOJ press release tells one side. That's it. I asked him how he saw me—as a father, a husband. Then I asked how he would've seen me 20 years ago reading my indictment. The answer was obvious. People aren't frozen at their worst moment. I've watched men rebuild after creating their own crisis. I'm proud to call them friends. Judges—formal or informal—should look at the record being built today, not headlines from the past. Join our weekly webinar every Tuesday at 11AM Pacific / 2PM Eastern.

People in this episode

Host: Justin Paperny

Topics covered

  • criminal justice
  • rehabilitation
  • personal growth
  • fatherhood
  • judicial perspective

Keywords

  • criminals
  • rehabilitation
  • judges
  • indictment
  • personal growth

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