Bad Traffic Lawyer?

[dwelch]

What is the name of your state? TX

I'm concerned about my traffic lawyer. I was referred to him by a friend and he picked up my case (expired MVI/Emissions) Pro Bono. I was scheduled to appear in court last night at 8pm. My lawyer told me not to worry about it, but when I talked to him on the phone at 7:45 he was still in his office in Pasadena (my case was set for trial at the main courthouse in Houston). There's no way he could have made it in time.

Does he have the ability to have everything reset, or should I be concerned about having a warrant out for my arrest?

Secondly, if, in a worst-case scenario, I do get in trouble for failing to show up, can I have this cleared from my record? I'm very concerned as even minor a blemish on my record could prevent me from obtaining my securities license; a requirement for my job.

I will call him later today to check the status of my case, but I want to make sure I fully understand what is going on.

[seniorjudge]

Originally Posted by dwelch

...

Does he have the ability to have everything reset, or should I be concerned about having a warrant out for my arrest?

....

A: Yes and yes.

[dwelch]

So he never showed up, and when I called him he gave me the run-around so to speak. Now I have an arrest warrant and have to post a $400 bond. I work in the securities business and I CANNOT afford to have any blemishes on my record.

Should I hire another attorney? Would I benefit from a cost perspective?

[FlyingRon]

The lawyer told you not to appear on a court appearance?
I'd file a complaint with the bar.

Yes, you should pay for an attorney, you're not getting very far with the free advice.

[dwelch]

My problem was the original lawyer was a friend of a friend sort of thing. A guy I know who is a Galveston prosecutor called the first lawyer and sent him my case info. So I didn't have alot of choice. I offered to pay him and he refused to let me.

As of today I've retained a more reputable lawyer to get my case out of warrant status, take care of my failure to appear, and fight my citation. As it stands, I now owe the city of Houston about $1100 ($400 bond + $400 FTA fine + ~$150 expired registration + ~$150 MVI/Emissions). All of this because I forgot to update my tags.

I don't even live here!! I'm just working here temporarily.