A Tale of Two Lawyers
Posted on October 15, 2008
Filed Under Criminal Law, DUI, Felonies, Law, Tips, misdemeanor |
Recently I blogged about my nephew’s frightening experience with the court system. A couple of beers with his high school friends before going off to college turned into a nightmare when he was stopped for DUI by a no-nonsense Virginia cop. (See our Oct. 10 post.) My 18-year-old nephew was lucky. His folks hired an excellent attorney and he followed the man’s advice. My nephew was given a year’s probation and the opportunity to walk away with no criminal record. But he could just as easily be spending his first semester of college behind bars.
Given today’s volatile economy, no one wants to spend more money than they need too. My sister’s careful eye on the family budget could have turned my nephew’s brush with the law into a tragic, life-changing event. With a different attorney, he could have been saddled with a criminal record that would have greatly limited his employment opportunities.
When my nephew ran afoul of the law in rural Virginia, my sister used the online yellow pages to hunt up a criminal attorney. There were only two listed so she called both.
Attorney A spoke with her at length. He asked what kind of punishment my sister and her husband had levied. It was strict: no driving privileges, no leaving the house except to go to work, no visiting friends, limited cell phone and internet access. He encouraged my sister to hang tough on the family punishment which would play favorably with the particularly strict judge assigned to the case. He also recommended that my nephew perform 50 hours of community service.
Attorney A explained the court process and said, if hired, he would meet with them one to two weeks before the hearing to prepare my nephew for court. My sister was impressed but put off by his fee — $5,000.
Attorney B spoke with my sister briefly about the arrest and explained court procedure. He promised a pre-hearing meeting about a week before the hearing. His fee was $600.
It’s easy to understand why my sister originally chose to go with Attorney B. Who wouldn’t want to save more than $4,000? It was a mistake that could have cost my nephew his freedom and his future. There’s truth in the old adage: “You get what you pay for.” My sister started to get nervous when Attorney B hadn’t called a week before the hearing and failed to return her calls. In a panic she called Attorney A, reaching him on his cell at an out-of-town conference. He agreed to take the case and arranged a pre-hearing meeting for the day of his return.
At the pre-hearing meeting, Attorney A explained the proceedings to my nephew and his worried parents. He told my nephew how to dress, speak, act and behave during the hearing. He discussed the questions he would be asked and told him what to expect from the police officer’s testimony. He exhibited a detailed knowledge not only of the case, but of the arresting officer’s temperament, arrest record and court performance. He coached my nephew on the behavior and demeanor that would elicit a favorable response from the judge.
Attorney A’s experience, preparation and excellent advice saved the day. Attorney B finally called my sister back the night before the hearing. Like I said, you get what you pay for. If you need an experienced, skilled criminal defense attorney in California, contact the law offices of Stephen G. Rodriguez.
- LegalPro
Comments
Leave a Reply