A DUI Lawyer: Kind of...
I stopped in Oxford's Uptown/High Point Coffee this evening and found myself in a depressing conversation about a particular Mississippi lawyer and DUI defense. An acquaintance I often see in Oxford, let's call him Mr. X, asked me what I do for a living. When I told him I was a lawyer, and that I practice criminal law, he explained his DUI defense experience to me. Without revealing information about Mr. X or his lawyer, suffice it to say he was not happy with the representation.
An aside. The reality of criminal law practice is that some clients are understandably disappointed in the outcome of their cases - being accused of a crime is stressful, and a conviction or guilty plea is without doubt a difficult experience. So, it isn't abnormal to hear complaints about criminal defense lawyers. But, Mr. X's story stood out to me as something different from the normal frustrations and disappointments experienced by those in the criminal law system.
Interestingly, Mr. X didn't protest "I was innocent" or explain how the court system was wrong. Instead, he explained the poor representation he received from his lawyer and related the enormous fee he paid for that representation. The poor representation included the lawyer not knowing the details of Mr. X's DUI arrest when he appeared in court and the lawyer disparaging local law enforcement in open court, both to the obvious detriment of Mr. X's defense. The fee Mr. X paid for the "representation", to my knowledge, is more than double the fee charged by most lawyers who practice DUI defense in the Oxford area.
I've been reflecting on this conversation for a few hours now, and I'm still not sure what to say. I related earlier that I found the conversation depressing. That's because I do not believe that Mr. X's experience with his lawyer was typical. The lawyers I practice with in Oxford are, for the most part, skilled and conscientious advocates. They are professionals, and they represent their clients to the best of their ability. (I trust that they would say the same thing about me.) I guess all I can say is that Mr. X deserved better.
An aside. The reality of criminal law practice is that some clients are understandably disappointed in the outcome of their cases - being accused of a crime is stressful, and a conviction or guilty plea is without doubt a difficult experience. So, it isn't abnormal to hear complaints about criminal defense lawyers. But, Mr. X's story stood out to me as something different from the normal frustrations and disappointments experienced by those in the criminal law system.
Interestingly, Mr. X didn't protest "I was innocent" or explain how the court system was wrong. Instead, he explained the poor representation he received from his lawyer and related the enormous fee he paid for that representation. The poor representation included the lawyer not knowing the details of Mr. X's DUI arrest when he appeared in court and the lawyer disparaging local law enforcement in open court, both to the obvious detriment of Mr. X's defense. The fee Mr. X paid for the "representation", to my knowledge, is more than double the fee charged by most lawyers who practice DUI defense in the Oxford area.
I've been reflecting on this conversation for a few hours now, and I'm still not sure what to say. I related earlier that I found the conversation depressing. That's because I do not believe that Mr. X's experience with his lawyer was typical. The lawyers I practice with in Oxford are, for the most part, skilled and conscientious advocates. They are professionals, and they represent their clients to the best of their ability. (I trust that they would say the same thing about me.) I guess all I can say is that Mr. X deserved better.
I bet I know who it is, not from Oxford, I have watched similar in other cases with this gentleman. Disappointing to say the least.
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well i had an attorney actually go to court without me, because his secetary told me the wrong date. And guess what I was found guilty.
Very disappointing
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injustice
I hate to hear about situations like yours, but I must admit that I have heard many. The reality is that some attorneys are not as relaible as others. I always suggest caution when seeking representation - here is a relevant post from another blogger: http://bennettandbennett.com/blog/2008/06/ollie-the-cabdrivertising-criminal-attorney.html.
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