Criminal Mitigation Through a Trauma-Informed Lens

At Root and Resolve, we believe that no one is the worst thing they've ever done. Every behavior has a backstory - and behind every criminal charge, there is a human life shaped by the years and generations prior.

Criminal mitigation is the process of uncovering and presenting the full, complex context of a defendant’s life to the court and prosecutors - especially during plea and sentencing. It’s more than fact-finding and persuasion. It’s narrative healing.

Through a trauma-informed and parts-based lens, we recognize that people develop protective patterns in response to overwhelming experiences. Many humans carry decades of unaddressed trauma including: caregiver neglect, domestic and community violence, systemic racism and oppression, generational poverty, untreated mental illness, parental incarceration, addiction, and traumatic attachment. Often, they’ve had to survive environments that offered no refuge, no resources, and very few choices

We all have parts that make up who we are: inner protectors, wounded exiles, and fire-fighters. These parts adapt during times of trauma or extreme stress to keep us functioning. In mitigation work, these parts matter. The “criminal” act is driven by a protector trying to stay alive or avoid vulnerability with the knowledge and resources they had at the time.

We approach each case with curiosity, not condemnation.

We ask:

• What happened to this person before they harmed someone else?

• What burdens have their parts been carrying?

• What generational patterns have been perpetuated or ignored?

• What resilience have they shown despite the odds?

• What systems failed them—and how early?

By telling these stories with accuracy, compassion, and psychological depth, we humanize the individual before the court. We equip attorneys with powerful, evidence-based narratives rooted in developmental trauma, social history, and mental health.

We don’t justify crime. We contextualize it.

Because when judges, prosecutors, juries, and community stakeholders understand the why, they are more likely to employ empathy while considering mercy, treatment, and accountability rooted in growth - not just punishment.

For Attorneys

At Root and Resolve, we provide comprehensive, trauma-informed mitigation services to support defense teams at both state and federal levels. With a deep understanding of complex trauma, mental health, and systems of oppression, we uncover the full context of a client’s life - moving beyond the offense to tell the story of how they arrived at this moment.

With nearly 20 years combined experience in education, mental health, and federal mitigation, we specialize in criminal defense cases involving severe trauma, complex mental illness, childhood adversity, addiction, and developmental challenges. Our reports are factually grounded, compassionately written, and strategically crafted to support meaningful sentencing outcomes and effective plea negotiations.

We help you advocate for the whole person - because every case has a story, and every story deserves to be heard.

Prior work on over 75 criminal mitigation investigation cases has consistently resulted in time served sentences, downward departures, significant downward variances, a complete dismissal of indictment, dismissals of criminal charges, and substantial reductions in plea negotiations on Capital and Non-Capital charges including but not limited to: murder, firearm offenses, domestic terrorist activity, immigration violations, bomb making, car jackings, internet crimes, wire fraud, mail fraud, drug charges, weapons charges, medicaid and medicare fraud, human trafficking, arson, counterfeiting, and stalking.

*Services are offered nationally on both a package and hourly basis, depending on the needs of the case.

Defendants & Familes

Being charged with a serious crime is terrifying - not just for the person facing sentencing but for everyone who loves them. It can feel like no one wants to understand what led to this moment, or who you really are behind the headlines. It can feel like everyone is against you.

That’s where we come in.

Mitigation is the process of telling your story. We take the time to listen, build trust and mutual respect, and to learn about your life - from painful childhood experiences and generational struggles to medical or mental health concerns. We put the puzzle pieces of your life together using records, interviews, research, and more to create a vividly persuasive picture of your story. Through excellent writing and research skills, we help the court, the prosecutor, and your attorney understand what you’ve been through - and what you’re capable of becoming.

Our role isn’t to excuse what happened. It’s to explain it in context. To show how trauma, poverty, abuse, racism, addiction, or physical and mental illness shaped the road you’ve walked - and to open the door to empathy, compassion, and hope.

You are more than this moment. You are not your charges. You are not defined by your past. And your story deserves to be told.

Contact us today to see how we might be able to help you. Your story deserves to be told.

*Services are offered on a sliding scale.