How do I find a mentor?

I have attended a number of seminars since school formally ended in 1995.  I have repeatedly heard different speakers recommend that audience members seek out mentors.  While I suspect that it is widely accepted that acquiring a mentor is invaluable for gaining in-depth insight and experience in a particular area, I also expect that most people are like me in that they either: (1) do not want to pay for mentoring (if money is involved it starts to smell like tutoring, not mentoring); and/or (2) do not know where to begin their search for a mentor.  Some folks go to church for their guidance, but I have found that the pastor quoting First Peter, chapter 3, verse 7 [“likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them (wives) according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife”] – does not help me gain any actual knowledge into how I need to conduct myself as a husband.  I continue to search for mentors in the five areas most germane to my life: 

1. Transformational Growth
2. Health 
3. Finance and Money 
4. Marriage  
5. Child Rearing 

While I search, I read and contemplate.  Because clients have many of the struggles and concerns that have been addressed in the materials I have read, I have often recommended reading material.  Please 

find attached my reading list.  I will continue to add more books that I find useful.  Most of the recommended material that follows can be found in both book and CD form at the local library.  I 

have listened to the probably 80% of the material for free, before I ever purchased the book for my library.  I have read and/or listened to every book I recommend.  While the subject matter is not in order 

of importance, because for some marriage may trump health right now, while for others health trumps child rearing, the materials are organized by the impact that they made in my life.  Happy journey.    

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Traffic Citation Attorney in Lawrenceville

Question: My son was on probation in Cherokee county ga. He didn''t do his community service as ordered and was arrested when he reported to his probation officer. He had paid all his fines and has been turned away from community service twice for various reasons( weather/already full). He has a hearing Monday morning. Will he get any credit towards the community service for the 4 days he will spend in jail. What can we expect at the hearing Monday. This all stems from a super speeder ticket. He paid his fines and took the defensive driving class. Just hasn''t done the community service

Answer: You can expect that the judge will violate his probation, and either give him 5-10 days in jail or additional community service.

Answered by Lawrence Lewis - Traffic Citation Attorney in Lawrenceville

There is no one free crime rule

Many individuals who are accused of a crime have questions about what will happen when they go to court, or what will they face when they see the prosecutor/judge. The concern is real. The concern is understandable. What is confusing is the factors that they think are going to impact the prosecutor and/or judge in deciding on the merits of the case. For example: 

• I have a totally pristine, clean record 
• I have never been in trouble before 
• I am an honor’s student in college 
• I am almost finished my nursing program with a B+ average 
• I have two small children, and I am the sole financial support 
• I have a severe disability, which prevents me from walking, standing, working 

 I have read hundreds of questions on-line and listened to hundreds of clients in my office repeat these same words over and over. The judge does not care about your academic success, or your family obligations. As far as the judge is concerned, IF your grades reflected your intelligence, you would not be in court on misdemeanor marijuana charges, or shoplifting charges or DUI charges. IF you really were concerned about your family and/or your familial obligations, you would not be charged with DUI after blowing .12 on the breathalyzer. And as for the disability that prevent you from being on probation, or doing any community service, or serving any time in jail, IF you can stand to drink then you can stand to pick up trash. 

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License Suspension Attorney in Lawrenceville

Question: I feel as though i was mistreated. today while i was on my lunch break i took one of the vendors who does a-lot of work for me at my place of employement. we went two blocks from the job, on our way back we saw traffic was at a stand still, as we turned into a parking lot on the left enclosed by an iron gate to get out of traffic i noticed it was a police check point. i told the driver and he stoped in a parking spot to look for his License. he told me he didnt have his license on him. he asked me if i had a license i said yes and agreed to drive us back to work. as soon as i got my seat belt buckeled apolice officer pulled up and apporoached us. he asked what did we just do and i told him "my friend doesnt have his liscence on him but i have mines. he took us both out of the car put us in handcuffs that i still have marks from 7 hours after the incident. i explained to him i didnt know i did anything wrong, and that i wasnt trying to run. since i was honest from the begining i didnt understand the hostility. he ran the car tag and my information and my friends, as he threatened to take us to jail i explained that we work across the street and that we have APD officers that work with us that could vouch and verify who he where and that the he was blowing the situation out of control. after communicating with a sgt that was at my job he agreed to not take us to jail. he gave me citation for evading the police, obstruction,and allowing someone to drive with no license. in my mind after he verified the information and listening to our reasons and explanation was i mistreated, and should i get an attorney or will a public defender or judge understand, and be able to resolve this.

Answer: Understand what? You went out to lunch with a person that does not have his driver''s license. When he informed you he did not have his license, you agreed to drive his vehicle back to work. The police stopped you and asked you what was going on, and you politely explained that the passenger did not have a license and that you agreed to drive his car back to the office. Neither the police nor I am stupid. With that story, the police would have arrested your friend for driving on a suspended license, or driving on no license, and that would have been the end of it. However, I suspect that you started running your mouth, about why the police were stopping you, and how you had to get back to work as if the police were inconveniencing you. And the police gave you a lesson in inconvenience. The public defender has real cases to deal with, and the judge will probably not be all that sympathetic, so you need to retain an attorney. 

Answered By Lawrence Lewis - License Suspension Attorney in Lawrenceville

Three Games The Accused Does Not Want To Play With The Prosecutor

About four years ago, I was appointed to represent a fifteen year old juvenile charged as an adult with aggravated child molestation, which in Georgia carried a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison, which meant that the juvenile defendant, IF he was found guilty, would have to serve thirty (30) years in prison before he was even eligible for parole.  The victim was his eight year old cousin.  The juvenile defendant had been interviewed by detectives, to whom he had made a full confession.  Recognizing the weight of the evidence, I explained to the juvenile’s mother and aunt that the best case scenario, given the confession, was to have the case transferred from the adult court to Juvenile Court, which would probably mean that the juvenile would face a straight five years in a Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) facility.  When mom burst out in tears after hearing about the five years, I knew we would go down the “games” road.  I thought she would breathe a sigh of relief at the five years of incarceration, considering I had just mentioned a mandatory minimum of thirty years in prison, just five minutes earlier.  When she was able to collect herself, her questions, reflecting the “games”, began. 

(1)    THE WHAT HAPPENS IF THE WITNESS DOES NOT SHOW UP GAME 

What happens IF the child/victim does not show up in court?  Although this question is typically asked in the context of a criminal offense involving a civilian victim (e.g. burglary, child molestation, aggravated assault, domestic violence, aggravated stalking, etc.), I have heard the question when the only witnesses are police officers (e.g. drug offenses, fleeing and attempting to elude, DUI, escape, etc.).  The simple answer: IF THE VICTIM OR WITNESS DOES NOT SHOWS UP, ALL OF THE CHARGES WILL BE DISMISSED.  The more complete answer: IN THE FOURTEEN YEARS I HAVE BEEN A DEFENSE ATTORNEY, ONLY A HANDFUL OF FELONIES HAVE BEEN DISMISSED BECAUSE THE WITNESS FAILED TO APPEAR IN COURT.  How many?  Maybe twenty (20) cases out of twenty-five hundred (2500) cases, which is less than one percent, which means you should not rely on the witness to fail to appear in court to make a decision on how you should proceed.

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Felony Attorney in Lawrenceville

Question: How long can someone sit in jail with felony charges, without being indicted?

Answer:  With a bond, two plus years. Without a bond, 120 days.

Answered by Lawrence Lewis - Felony Attorney in Lawrenceville

Family Violence Attorney in Lawrenceville

Family violence, also known as Domestic violence, refers to physical harm inflicted on one member of a household or family, by another member of the same household or family (usually between spouses). Domestic violence, sometimes called spousal abuse when it involves a husband and wife, usually involves repetitive physical and psychological abuse, and a "cycle of violence".  Specific crimes charged vary based on: (1) the severity of the victim`s injuries; (2) whether a minor was present; and (3) whether a protective or restraining order was in place at the time of the violence.

First, the severity of the victim’s injury will determine whether the police and/or prosecutor will charge the accused with simple battery, aggravated assault and/or aggravated battery.  Second, if a minor was present to witness the domestic violence, there will certainly be a charge of Cruelty to Children put upon the accused, for allowing the child to witness the violence.  Third, if there is a protective order in place when the domestic violence occurs, the accused will probably be charged with Aggravated Stalking, which requires a Superior Court judge to set bond.

When an officer is called to a scene due to an alleged family violence incident, 99% of the time, someone is taken to jail.  The person who contacts the police is called the Complaining Witness in a case.  The complaining witness, who might not be the victim, is usually the prosecutor’s main and only witness.  At the time of the arrest, the responding officer may take both a written statement from the victim and photographs of all of the victim’s injuries, which can be used as evidence in the case.  In addition, the 9-1-1 tape can be used as evidence by the prosecutor to establish the emotional state of the complainant.

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