Attorney Fees

Oregon. i'm curious about the cost of a lawyer these days. i was arrested for growing 8 marijuana plants in my closet and the lawyer i got from the referral service wants $5,000 to represent me! is that normal? someone said to expect around $200 an hour. if i plead guilty, how can a lawyer justify 5 grand? should i shop around for a less expensive attorney?

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

Originally posted by Rhonda Luscavag
Oregon. i'm curious about the cost of a lawyer these days. i was arrested for growing 8 marijuana plants in my closet and the lawyer i got from the referral service wants $5,000 to represent me! is that normal? someone said to expect around $200 an hour. if i plead guilty, how can a lawyer justify 5 grand? should i shop around for a less expensive attorney?

My response:

If you intend to plead guilty, save yourself the time, trouble and money to hire an attorney. Just plead, spend your time in jail, and be done.

IAAL

IAAL, Thanks for responding. do you think pleading guilty my best option? I have learned that growing plants is 100 times worse than possession. the max in oregon is 20 yrs and 300,000 fine! possession is only a misdem. I would really really appreciate it if you would give me an approximate as to how much jail time and how much money the fine might be if i plead guilty. your opinion means a lot to me. thanks

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

Originally posted by Rhonda Luscavag
IAAL, Thanks for responding. do you think pleading guilty my best option? I have learned that growing plants is 100 times worse than possession. the max in oregon is 20 yrs and 300,000 fine! possession is only a misdem. I would really really appreciate it if you would give me an approximate as to how much jail time and how much money the fine might be if i plead guilty. your opinion means a lot to me. thanks

My response:

Rhonda, I have no idea if pleading guilty is your "best option". You said " . . . if i plead guilty, how can a lawyer justify 5 grand?" So, I surmized from that question that it was your intent to, in fact, plead guilty.

If that is not your intent, then I, or any attorney, would need to know far more about the specifics of your arrest, more about you, and more about your past, in order to give you the "best option." In other words, a bulletin board is not the place for you - - rather, sitting on the other side of an attorney's desk is where you should be at this point.

It is, however, suggested that if you're facing felony charges, that you either get yourself an attorney, or if you can't afford the $5,000 to $10,000, or more, that your defense is going to require, then you'll have an attorney appointed for you by the judge at the time of your arraignment.

Good luck to you.

IAAL

just wanted to thank you IAAL for replying to my questions. i will call the attorney back first thing tomorrow a.m. and retain her. and in case you have any statistics on a female representing another female vs male representing a female, i'd be interested to hear your opinion. your responses and this website have helped me tremendously! thanks

attourney fees are at an all time low for people who grow daffodils. know what i mean vern?