defense attorney relationships w/ judges, DA filing clerks, prosecutors, etc

[jaxav8r]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California

I'm shopping for lawyers and one attorney in particular gave me a selling point that sounded uniquely appealing; however, it also sounded a little dubious. I was hoping someone could help me to corroborate (or invalidate) his selling point…which was this:

I have a wobbler (felony possession) charge, and he was indicating that he has a better chance of getting the DA deputy filing clerk to either 1) file the charge as a misdemeanor instead of a felon, or 2) drop the case (it's a long shot but I'm a valedictorian med student with a perfectly clean history).

He said he has a better chance of getting this accomplished because he plays golf and has dinner with the local judges, prosecutors, DA filing clerks, etc.

If this is true then I'm very persuaded to choose him over the other lawyers I've spoken to.

…but is it possible he could simply be giving me BS? I seems unlikely to me that a DA's filing clerk would be having dinner with a defense attorney.

Anyone feel otherwise? Thanks in advance!

 

[Proserpina]

Oh he's probably telling the truth...sort of.

Every attorney is going to have a relationship with various judges etc. He's not lying about that bit.

What he's misleading you with though, is the impact those relationships actually have on a case.

For every defense attorney who is friends with a judge, there is also a prosecuting attorney.

Think about it

 

[Ohiogal]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California

I'm shopping for lawyers and one attorney in particular gave me a selling point that sounded uniquely appealing; however, it also sounded a little dubious. I was hoping someone could help me to corroborate (or invalidate) his selling point…which was this:

I have a wobbler (felony possession) charge, and he was indicating that he has a better chance of getting the DA deputy filing clerk to either 1) file the charge as a misdemeanor instead of a felon, or 2) drop the case (it's a long shot but I'm a valedictorian med student with a perfectly clean history).

He said he has a better chance of getting this accomplished because he plays golf and has dinner with the local judges, prosecutors, DA filing clerks, etc.

If this is true then I'm very persuaded to choose him over the other lawyers I've spoken to.

…but is it possible he could simply be giving me BS? I seems unlikely to me that a DA's filing clerk would be having dinner with a defense attorney.

Anyone feel otherwise? Thanks in advance!

RUN from him. RUN. If he actually said that, he is unethical.