In this installment of our Breaking Bad series, we will explore one of the most interesting, intriguing, and scandalous characters of the show. Saul Goodman is the smarmy, fast-talking, law breaking criminal defense attorney hired by Walter White and Jesse Pinkman to help them along the way as they struggle and triumph in their life of crime.
Saul was originally contacted after Jesse’s then-partner Badger was arrested for sale of methamphetamine. Walter then offered to pay Saul $10,000 to keep Badger from talking to the DEA. Saul refuses, claiming that he finds such an idea morally reprehensible. Resorting to more drastic measures, Walt and Jesse kidnap Saul and take him to the middle of the desert. He is eventually convinced and a new partnership is formed.
Not all attorney are shady operators like Saul. In fact, most are not. Despite his dubious dealings however, Saul has proven time and again to be well-versed in all aspects of the law. Goodman is not only a defense attorney, but also partakes in any other branch of representation that his clients require. In the case of Walter and Jesse, this includes money laundering.
Simply put, money laundering is concealing the source of money. That is, making money that comes from an illegal source look as though it was obtained legally. Saul doesn’t just dabble in white collar crime. He also has criminal connections with a much more violent flair.
Saul Goodman has an associate named Mike who does his cleanup work. In various episodes, we see Mike cleaning up and doctoring crime scenes, performing murder-for-hire, and various other nefarious tasks. He also works as Saul Goodman’s private investigator. Mike is calm, smooth, and highly professional.
Saul Goodman is an intelligent, savvy attorney who involves himself with the criminal dealings of his clients. We at Appelman Law Firm love the character of Saul Goodman, His legal expertise is admirable and his tenacity is a quality possessed by any good criminal defense attorney. However, outside of T.V.-land, it is advisable to choose a criminal defense attorney that isn’t a part of the criminal process.
Can’t get enough of Saul Goodman? There are rumors of a potential “Better Call Saul” spin off in the future!
Stay tuned for the next installment of our series The Criminology of Breaking Bad.
