June 2024 eNewsletter Issue no. 94

Facing criminal charges is stressful enough. The criminal defense attorney(s) you hire should take away from, not add to, some of that stress. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. In this video, attorney Elmira Yousufi explains what you should expect from your criminal defense attorney, and some clues indicating that you may not have chosen the right attorney for your case.

Elmira explains that if you are facing criminal charges, the right attorney will make sure that you understand exactly what is going on with your case at all times. A red flag would be if the attorney is not responsive to questions you have about the status or what the next steps of your case should be. Another cause for concern would be if the attorney is unable to explain the purpose of each court date, what each appearance’s realistic goal should be, and whether your personal appearance is required or optional. 

Elmira also relates a humorous (but unfortunate) story about a case in which an attorney, without notice to or permission from the court, decided to appear virtually (i.e., by video). The judge wanted to know where that lawyer’s client was, since the client was supposed to appear also. The attorney told the judge he did not know why the client did not show up in court. Unbeknownst to the attorney, their client was sitting outside the courtroom, not aware he was supposed to be inside for the hearing. The upshot of that exchange was that the judge scheduled a hearing to decide whether the attorney should be held in contempt of court. We can all agree that, in that instance, for a number of reasons, that defendant hired the wrong attorney. You have too much at stake to make a mistake like that.

In this video, managing partner David P Shapiro explains how providing drugs - particularly fentanyl - to another could lead to life altering consequences for you both, particularly if that individual overdoses and passes away. More and more, the past few months especially, individuals have been charged with serious offenses, even murder in state court, when a prosecutor believes they can link the lethal dose of fentanyl to an individual supplier. 

Whether prosecuted in state or federal court, these cases could lead to an indeterminate prison sentence where the accused faces up to the rest of their life behind bars if convicted. As such, it is imperative that the community knows their rights if they or a loved one is being investigated for a fentanyl-related overdose death.