What type of law do you practice?
Who makes the decisions in the case?
What should I expect when I meet with you?
Did you find it difficult to switch to a defense attorney after so many years as a prosecutor?
What should I do if the police want to talk to me?
What type of law do you practice? The days of the general practitioner in law are coming to an end – virtually every type of law requires some level of specialization – I try to limit my practice to criminal law. That doesn’t mean that I don’t take other kinds of cases as well, but what I attempt to do with those cases is to have a network of other attorneys who, like me, limit themselves to other areas of the law that would benefit the client, and in that instance I would function as a general contractor.
What do you charge? Now, that’s a tough one. The best thing to do is get in touch with me about your case. I can give you an idea of what your looking at in terms of potential outcomes, defenses, and costs. I can’t guarantee that I’ll always be cheaper, but if you’re a bargain shopper, you have to figure out what is more important to you – disappointment can be bought cheaply.
What are your hours? Contrary to what other lawyers may say, being a lawyer is a service profession, we don’t exist without our clients – if you can’t meet during business hours, don’t worry about it, we’ll figure something out. As I said before, it doesn’t cost anything to talk to me about the case in order for both of us to decide if we’re going to work together.
Will you guarantee a result? Finally, an easy one. NO, I WILL NOT GUARANTEE A RESULT. If a lawyer tells you that he or she can guarantee a result in a criminal case, do one of two things – first, hold on to your wallet and run like hell, or two tell him or her that they need to market their services because they are the only one doing what they claim to do. There are no guarantees in criminal law until the case is dismissed, until a person is found not guilty by a judge or jury, or until a judge delivers a sentence, then and only then will you have a concrete idea of what is going to happen with your case.
Who makes the decisions in the case? Generally, you do. It’s my feeling that outside of trial tactics, it is the client’s decision on how a case progresses. Ultimately, the client is one who wins or loses based on his or her decisions. It is my opinion that I shouldn’t gamble with someone else’s life – so you make the decisions – your butt, your call.
What should I expect when I meet with you? Honesty. If you want someone to paint you a pretty picture of your case – don’t bother calling. The one person who should give you an honest appraisal of your case is your lawyer. You may not always like what I have to say, but there’s no sugar-coating here.
Did you find it difficult to switch to a defense attorney after so many years as a prosecutor? It was the best decision I made. I got into law because of a book and a play – the book: “To Kill a Mockingbird”; the play: “Twelve Angry Men.” Both involve the defense of innocent people. It took me a long time to realize it, but the whole time I was in the DA’s Offices, essentially I was in the right church, but the wrong pew. I loved criminal law, and I learned that my approaches to problems, and methods for solving those problems meant that I was far too uncivilized to practice “civil” law. I belonged in criminal law, but not the DA’s office.
A prosecutor’s job isn’t easy; it shouldn’t be. As far as I was concerned it was time for me to do my part to the prosecutor’s burden exactly what it should be, the most difficult burden recognized by law. In some cases, a guilty plea is the best resolution as it protects the client from extensive jail time, etc. Other times, trial is the only answer. If we go to trial, then the prosecution better damn well be ready for a fight, because liberty shouldn’t be given away freely.
What should I do if the police want to talk to me? The first person you should talk to is your lawyer; it doesn’t matter if it’s me or someone else.