Social media influence Andrew Tate had his house arrest extended in April 2023 by a Romanian criminal court. Mr. Tate, his brother, and other individuals are being investigated for possible crimes connected with human trafficking, rape, and creating a criminal gang to take advantage of women. No person connected with these possible crimes has been charged with any specific crime, however. Initially, upon arrest in 2022, Mr. Tate and his brother, Tristan, were placed into police custody. In March 2023 the brothers were removed from police custody and placed under house arrest where they continue to await the result of the investigation.
The Tate brothers have denied any criminal wrongdoing. Two women were also removed from police custody and placed under house arrest while their involvement is being investigated. What is shocking, from our American perspective, is that the Tates have not been formally charged with having committed any crime. In America, an arrest can be made when an arrest warrant is issued or law enforcement observes a crime having been committed. Charges would soon follow, and a person would either have the opportunity to post a bond or would remain in law enforcement custody pending a hearing.
The Tate brothers were initially arrested in Romania in December 2022. Accusations were made against the brothers of having engaged in criminal behavior related to organized crime, human trafficking, and rape. Their period of house arrest began on April 1, 2023. Romanian women were arrested along with the Tate brothers and they, too, were in police custody until April 2023. Six women were identified as being victims of the actions taken by the Tate brothers and these two women. Violence and coercion were at the center of these actions which sought to bring the women to Romania from other European nations.
Andrew Tate has risen to online prominence as an influencer of, primarily, young men. The Tate brothers are careful cultivators of a swashbuckling, womanizing, and materialistic image that promotes a strong, masculine attitude toward life and the people around them. Andrew Tate is a former world champion kickboxer and in his mid-thirties is almost as well-known now for his being at the top of his game in the influencer world. Millions of people around the world follow his various online profiles and keep up with his exploits. Typical photos posted by Mr. Tate include him dressed exquisitely, many times surrounded by beautiful women, fancy cars- or both.
What do you need in a criminal lawyer?
All of this begs the question: what sort of legal representation do the Tate brothers need and how can they find a good lawyer? All persons involved in this story are already represented by a lawyer but what sort of lawyer is best equipped to represent people in a tricky situation like the Tates find themselves in? Certainly, it is not easy to represent people who are in the position of the Tates. Dealing with a juridical system that is not well-known and, in a country, where they (presumedly) do not speak the language.
A criminal defense lawyer should not be a pushover, without a doubt. To be represented by a lawyer who does what the client always says and does not consider their training of expertise is doing nobody a service. With clients like the Tate brothers, this can be a challenge. The difficult part is that an attorney would have a man like Tate’s brother who is used to getting what they want when they want it. An attorney is not necessarily able to do what a client wants all the time. Rather, a good criminal defense attorney is honest with their clients and works to share the whole truth with the client rather than selective truths that are the least uncomfortable for the attorney to share.
In interviews, the Tates have commented that they did go out and meet with multiple criminal defense attorneys in Romania before deciding on which to hire. This is good advice. I don’t think the Tates were necessarily trying to give good advice when they were asked this question, but it ends up being good advice, nonetheless. You have the right to interview as many attorneys as you would like before deciding on hiring one. For most people, this means asking questions, listening to answers, and eventually making up your mind on an attorney to defend you against whatever charges have been levied against you. It would be a rare situation to find yourself in a position where the first attorney that you interview ends up being the best one for you and your case.
The Tates have also mentioned that they do not want to hear about the law from their attorney. Rather, the Tates have the mindset that they have hired an attorney to handle their issues for them with no concern given as to what the law says or what the consequences of their actions are. Rather, an attorney (presumedly, in their mind) should smooth things out for them without ever having to consider the law. Basically- the law doesn’t apply to them, so a thorough discussion of the law is not needed. This is not how the world works. That should also be obvious to the Tates, who are potentially facing serious legal consequences and pending charges.
While lawyers are expected to do the best, they can in the situation that they are presented with, a couple of important characteristics of a case that an attorney cannot change are the law and the facts. The laws of the jurisdiction that you are being accused of committing a crime in the matter. They matter for the elements of the crime; they matter for procedural issues like scheduling a hearing or trial and they matter for determining how evidence can be admitted into the record. A lawyer cannot outmaneuver the facts, either. Even if you hire the best criminal attorney around (likely one with the Law Office of Bryan Fagan) he or she cannot change the facts as they existed at the time the alleged criminal act occurred.
Attorneys also need to be realistic with you as a client. You may have a certain vision of how your case is going to proceed. However, a good attorney will tell you the truth about your case, even if those truths are not pleasant. The last thing that you want to do is to hire an attorney who will tell you what you want to hear because it is easy. Rather, what you need is a criminal defense lawyer who will tell you the truth, help you map out realistic goals for your case, and is accountable to you.
From the outside, one of the difficult parts about representing Andrew Tate regarding this specific situation is that Mr. Tate has put plenty of material out onto the internet that is at least casually related to the nature of the potential charges to be brought against him regarding human trafficking. He promotes himself as a ladies’ man, an aggressive and decisive person who does not care about the law. These sorts of attributes may be great at helping him collect a trove of online followers but they can make it difficult to represent him. Put yourself in the shoes of his potential criminal defense lawyer and now think about all the online material that he or she would necessarily have to look through and argue against. That would be a daunting challenge.
Sex trafficking means that there are three things to keep your eye on as far as charges are concerned 1) force 2) fraud 3) coercion. In one video that Mr. Tate has put out on the internet, he talks about how it is not easy to start a “webcam” business involving women as models. He needs to teach women how to present themselves and how to make what he calls unlimited money or income. Then, he mentions how he needed to work on how to convince women to give him all the money that they earned All the elements that we laid out above regarding sex trafficking are found in just one video that I viewed online- straight from the mouth of Mr. Tate.
Sex trafficking can be caused for any of these elements. One of the purported victims of Andrew Tate testified to being enticed by promises of a relationship with Mr. Tate to join him in Romania. The promise or allusion to a relationship was quickly pulled back by Mr. Tate once the woman arrived in Romania. Instead, she (allegedly) was made to work as an online, webcam model on behalf of Mr. Tate. She would model and perform sex acts on the internet for an audience who would pay money to watch these acts take place. Mr. Tate would also threaten the woman with physical harm if she were to try and escape from his possession or from the home where these women were staying.
These women were defrauded if court transcripts and the messages that are a part of the transcripts are to be believed. The women would induce to come to Romania. Tate did not, as far as I can tell, leave the country to get these women. They willingly came to Romania to be in a relationship with Tate. However, once they arrived the reality that they found themselves involved in was quite different. Rather than finding a place in the life of Mr. Tate on a personal, relational level, they were made to be a part of his webcam business. They were employees, not a girlfriend.
There is a lot of evidence that puts Tate and his lawyer in a large hole that they need to climb out of. A mountain of evidence that suggests that he is above the law, and not above skirting the law as it stands can make the already difficult job of a criminal defense lawyer that much tougher. Hopefully, this can act as a warning sign to you if you are also facing an uncertain future because of criminal charges being made against you. What can you do differently than Andrew Tate to make your life, and the job of your attorney, easier?
How to be the “anti-Andrew Tate”
What I mean by the anti-Andrew Tate is simply put, how can you make your life and that of your attorney as easy as possible? You do not have to be a perfect person to make a lawyer’s life easier for you. Making an attorney’s life easier should not be your only goal but considering that you are hiring an attorney to help you escape from a major jam it would make sense for you to try and work alongside the attorney so that you do not suffer unnecessarily when it comes to any potential criminal charges. Remember that you and your attorney are a team and that teammates try and do what is best for one another- not each of you individually.
For starters, Andrew Tate is bombastic, a showman first and foremost. While this may lead him to online glory it does not make his lawyer’s job any easier. All it takes is about thirty seconds’ worth of time to find interviews, podcast episodes, and videos that connect Mr. Tate to behavior that is at best tangentially related to the criminal allegations being made against him by Romanian authorities. Law enforcement in Romania has ready-made evidence for them to choose from right at their fingertips. If you are hiring an attorney do no more harm than you have already done (if you have done any, to begin with).
Sometimes, making the life of your attorney easier just means selecting the right attorney. We already said that Mr. Tate did a good thing by meeting with multiple attorneys to find the right one for him. This means finding a lawyer who you are comfortable with, who matches your goals, and one who has the experience to get what needs to get done- depending upon the circumstances of your case. If you and a lawyer conflict in a consultation, simply move on to another lawyer. Find someone you work well with and go from there rather than trying to force a relationship between attorney-client that is not natural.
Next, you should not overlook how important it is, to tell the truth to your attorney. Make sure your attorney is aware of all facts associated with your case. In criminal law cases, even small facts and events can tip the scales of justice one way or another. Share with your attorney anything you think may be relevant and allow him or her to determine whether it can be useful to your case. The last thing that you want to do is find yourself in a situation where you tell your attorney something important at the very end of a case when it is too late or could have made the case a lot simpler if you had disclosed it at the beginning.
Trust your attorney. If you have hired your attorney, you should have confidence in him or her, at least in theory. That does not mean having trust despite signs that malfeasance or bad decisions are happening, however. Ask your attorney why he or she is giving the advice that they just made. Do your best to understand the pertinent factors. This will help you make better decisions. While we are on it- you are the one accused of a crime. That means that you are the one whose case this is. Do not lose sight of the fact that it is your life on the line so to speak. Your attorney should be giving you advice and perspective but should not be making decisions for you.
The sort of attorney that you want is one with the heart of a teacher. The heart of a teacher means that he or she wants to teach you how to make good decisions about your case. An attorney is not there to tell you what to do. Rather, the attorney provides guidance based on their experience and knowledge of the law It is up to you to make good decisions for yourself. That starts with picking the right attorney to defend you.
The attorneys with the Law Office of Bryan Fagan appreciate your time today. We know that you are going through something incredibly difficult. It may seem like your back is against the wall. Jail time, the loss of a driver’s license, lost time with your children, being terminated from your place of employment- the list goes on and on as far as consequences that you may be facing. Rather than face these things alone, reach out to our office for a free-of-charge consultation- today.
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Bryan Fagan, a native of Atascocita, Texas, is a dedicated family law attorney inspired by John Grisham’s “The Pelican Brief.” He is the first lawyer in his family, which includes two adopted brothers. Bryan’s commitment to family is personal and professional; he cared for his grandmother with Alzheimer’s while completing his degree and attended the South Texas College of Law at night.
Married with three children, Bryan’s personal experiences enrich his understanding of family dynamics, which is central to his legal practice. He specializes in family law, offering innovative and efficient legal services. A certified member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, Bryan is part of an elite group of legal professionals committed to ongoing education and high-level expertise.
His legal practice covers divorce, custody disputes, property disputes, adoption, paternity, and mediation. Bryan is also experienced in drafting marital property agreements. He leads a team dedicated to complex family law cases and protecting families from false CPS allegations.
Based in Houston, Bryan is active in the Houston Family Law Sector of the Houston Bar Association and various family law groups in Texas. His deep understanding of family values and his professional dedication make him a compassionate advocate for families navigating Texas family law.
