klmno
Active Member
When difficult child was at his last arraignment, a court appointed attny was assigned. This is the same attny who was assigned before and basicly did NOTHING- you know the type- he sees you on the way into the courtroom and asked "so, refresh my memory- why are we here?" So, I fired him and got one myself for difficult child 2 years ago. I wasn't too impressed with the one I paid several thousand dollars to either- I thought he did the minimum- about what one would expect a court appointed attny to do. But really, the court appointed attny is worse than not having one at all- at least then the judge would know that the defendent had no legal counsel.
Anyway- I don't have money anymore, but I could scrape up a bit to make sure difficult child has legal representation for his next hearing- and he needs it and has some things going for him this time to give him a good chance of not being sent to state juvy, as his suspended sentence says. But, it will take an attny gathering some info and preparing facts and being ready to present them in court.
I called and left a message for the court appointment attny over a week ago and never got a call returned. Since this is the way he was before I fired him 2 years ago, I contacted difficult child's attny from last year (the one I paid for). I'm supposed to get stuff together for him and meet him on Monday to pay him a retainer and give him info. Then, I came home today and had a message from the court appointment attny.
Financially, I should go with the court appointment one. And Lord knows, I don't owe difficult child a paid attny. But, this is obviously important and whatever the judge decides at this hearing will effect difficult child for years to come. It will definitely determine what mental health care difficult child has opportunity to get for the next couple of years. When the court appointment attny was representing difficult child before, I tried to discuss things with him once and he just said that the GAL would take care of everything.
I may have already answered my own question, but I was wondering what others here would do.
Anyway- I don't have money anymore, but I could scrape up a bit to make sure difficult child has legal representation for his next hearing- and he needs it and has some things going for him this time to give him a good chance of not being sent to state juvy, as his suspended sentence says. But, it will take an attny gathering some info and preparing facts and being ready to present them in court.
I called and left a message for the court appointment attny over a week ago and never got a call returned. Since this is the way he was before I fired him 2 years ago, I contacted difficult child's attny from last year (the one I paid for). I'm supposed to get stuff together for him and meet him on Monday to pay him a retainer and give him info. Then, I came home today and had a message from the court appointment attny.
Financially, I should go with the court appointment one. And Lord knows, I don't owe difficult child a paid attny. But, this is obviously important and whatever the judge decides at this hearing will effect difficult child for years to come. It will definitely determine what mental health care difficult child has opportunity to get for the next couple of years. When the court appointment attny was representing difficult child before, I tried to discuss things with him once and he just said that the GAL would take care of everything.
I may have already answered my own question, but I was wondering what others here would do.