A I will tell you what I tell all of my friends. First, you need to put yourself in the right frame of mind. Stay as calm as possible and be polite with the officer(s). You will only agitate and anger the officers if you become hostile or confrontational. However, while being polite, you also need to be verbally assertive when it comes to your rights. If the officer asks you if he can search you, your personal belongings, your vehicle, or your residence, you should tell him “no” and that you will not consent to any search. If the officer tells you that he just wants to ask you some questions, tell him politely that on advice of your attorney that you will not answer any questions, and moreover, inform the officer that you would like your attorney present for any questioning as well. Things are a little trickier for DUI investigations because a refusal to submit to a blood alcohol test can result in a mandatory license suspension. In that situation, you still should politely refuse to answer any questions and refuse to engage in the field sobriety tests (such as the walk the line and counting tests).

AYes. I can guarantee you that I will leave no stone unturned in defending your case. I will give you a sense or a range of possible outcomes in your case, but I don’t make any guarantees as to what the outcome in your case will be. I don’t believe any competent attorney worth their salt will make guarantees like “I’m certain we will get your case dismissed”. If an attorney says something like that, he or she is telling you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear, and they are probably doing that so you will give them your hard-earned money to retain them.

AI know this answer isn’t satisfying, but my legal fees depend on many factors. Most importantly, I need to consider the charges in your case, the complexity of the issues involved in your case, your criminal history, and other considerations. I do charge flat fees in most cases. I do accept all major credit cards. And I do work out payment plans with some clients depending on your financial situation. During our initial free consultation, I will be able to ask you questions to figure out what my fee would be, and most times I will be able to tell you the fee during that consultation.

AThere are a number of helpful links that provide information about a person’s criminal case. (These are outside links and I make no assertions that their information is accurate or complete.)

Here are some of them:

San Diego Superior Court On-Line Case Search (limited to felony cases)

San Diego County Sheriff “Who’s in Jail” Search

San Diego Superior Court Calendar Search (limited to felony cases)

San Diego County Sheriff Arrest Warrant Lookup

Riverside Superior Court On-Line Case Search

Riverside Superior Court Calendar Search

Riverside County Sheriff “Who’s in Jail” Search

Orange County Superior Court Calendar Search

Orange County Sheriff Arrest Warrant Lookup