tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4098620.post111903757334951101..comments2024-03-15T04:02:42.341-04:00Comments on CrimLaw: "Paid Attorney" = "Good Attorney"?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4098620.post-1119322046655094162005-06-20T22:47:00.000-04:002005-06-20T22:47:00.000-04:00Just finished an appeal for a client who fired his...Just finished an appeal for a client who fired his PD on the eve of trial, hired some local hack who obviously had no criminal experience. He let in a confession to an unrelated crime, elicited on cross-examination that my client had been involved in series of pattern robberies, blew his alibi defense, late to court every day (even during deliberations), told the jury my client's alleged accomplices had fingered him...on and on it went.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4098620.post-1119236521845187922005-06-19T23:02:00.000-04:002005-06-19T23:02:00.000-04:00It's an interesting situation. I can say that I h...It's an interesting situation. I can say that I have seen cases where the defendant (actually his parents usually) go out and hire the "best" lawyer in town... he promptly comes in and declares total war. Result: instead of a negotiated plea for a reasonably short sentence consistent with the facts and roughly approximating justice, we end up in a jury trial with the jury slamming the guy. Even when the judge shaves some of the sentence off, defendant still ends up worse off than he would have with a "run of the mill" attorney. Sure, once in a while the big shot will hit the home run, but I'm locking and loading when I see his name on my files. Too bad the client pays the price in the end.Tom McKennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10826579789878573864noreply@blogger.com