I guess I just don't understand people, or rather I think very differently than they do.
I get a guy who just got another lawyer instead of me very early on a case. It happens, but I didn't expect it this time. I can see what happened.
What he was charged with wasn't clear. Namely, how many prior offenses he had and if they counted (there's a time limit). This is absolutely key because it effects potential minimum punishment and the amount of work to do (the amount of money any lawyer would charge is more for several repeat offenses than a first time in DUI).
I tell him on Saturday I will look it up and call him back on Sunday at a time of his choosing. I call him back right on time (give or take a minute or two). He is not in the system at all yet. I spoke to an officer friend of mine who very correctly said it's the end of the year and between budget and people taking time off, yeah it's not gonna be punched into the computer yet. This is a problem, because if I don't know exactly what he's charged with, then I can't advise him. I tell the guy I don't know what's going on without the records but I'll be in the records office first thing Monday morning to get the records needed. Police records office have nothing. Clerk of Courts has nothing. Finally I get into the prosecutor's office, the clerk there has nothing and I have to talk directly to prosecutor, he has it....
Right as I'm finally looking at the records for the guy, he calls me to say he's found another lawyer.... I say that's ok, and no charge for what I've done, and to make sure your new lawyer goes and gets the records straight from the prosecutor, because between it being new year's eve and tomorrow being new years day, there's no way they'll have this in the system soon enough for your court date, so make sure he can get the records by coming straight to the horse's mouth.
..... Well, there goes a case....
How I looked at it:
If I were accused of a crime, I would feel better if the lawyer jumped right on it, was honest with me about the problems of the case and how to fix it, called back right when he said he would, did what he said he would when he said he would, didn't bullshit me, and apparently cared. (Go ahead and find a lawyer digging around for case things on Sunday, doesn't happen much). And if I'm not in the computer yet, then that means my lawyer is working faster than the police....
How he looked at it:
All he heard was "I don't know" out of context and out of my mouth and the rest was too much information.
....
I don't get it. Many people complain that their lawyer never talks to them, or tells them what's going on, that they don't return phone calls or that they can't get ahold of 'em. I guess people just wanna hear, "everything's gonna be fine" at first even when it isn't necessarily true.... [shrugs].