Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Top Five Reasons Not to Present Yourself

I get at least two requests weekly on how to expunge a criminal conviction to some minor offense that was committed years ago, which is impacting work opportunities.   What is painfully obvious in many of the requests is: (1) a good attorney would have beat the charges outright, and there would have been no conviction; and (2) the person had no idea of the impact that the plea would have on his/her life years later.  In many instances, the accused entered a guilty plea without the benefit of an attorney, because: (1) the accused did not think the charge was serious; (2) the accused thought the plea from the friendly prosecutor was a good deal; or (3) the accused claims he could not afford an attorney.  As a criminal attorney that hires real estate attorneys when I buy property, I cannot imagine any scenario in court where going pro se is a sound idea. 


If you elect to still represent yourself in court, please keep my number handy for the violation of probation hearing.   

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About Me

I hung a shingle in February 2000, because I saw that individuals charged with criminal offenses were being underserved by the attorneys practicing criminal law. Since February 2000, I have represented more than two thousand criminal clients. I only practice criminal law, but I do everything from violations of probation to Supreme Court appeals. There are few attorneys under the age of sixty that have my level of experience. I have tried more than two hundred major felony jury trials. I have tried more than fifty misdemeanor jury trials. In Philadelphia as a prosecutor, I tried more than two thousand bench trials. I have conducted more than three thousand preliminary hearings and bond hearings. Yet, I still have the energy at forty-five to serve my current clients. There is nothing that will occur in a courtroom that I have not experienced before. When you are looking for an attorney, experience is everything.