I hired Mr. Barry after my very first and completely dreadful run-in with the municipal police. Just picture a middle-aged, quiet and nerdy gal suddenly handcuffed, arrested and taken to jail (!) for a DUI, refusal to provide breath sample and and three other traffic violations – five charges in total. It felt surreal to be behind metal bars, in a real jail cell - hard cot, filthy toilet, walls covered in profanities and all - just like in the movies. I deserved to be there, I suppose, yet I felt painfully (but also comically) out of place as I've never been a troublemaker before and had no prior contact with the police. Since the arrest wasn't just a bad dream and since the ground didn't want to open and swallow me, I had to face the consequences and attempt some damage control. At first, I didn't even realize how dire my situation was. For those unfamiliar, the first two of my charges (DUI and refusal) are considered nearly “fatal” in New Jersey – hard to downgrade and nearly impossible to get rid of without some solid mitigating circumstances. Well, my wretched case had no mitigating circumstances of any kind. Instead, it had a big fat aggravating factor. In other words, a straight loser case where it actually makes more sense to bite the bullet, plead guilty to all charges and save the money by forgoing legal representation. (That money will be good for months and months of having to rely on Uber). From the beginning, b e f o r e taking my check, Mr. Barry was clear about poor prospects of my case. Painful as it was to hear, I felt his stoic candor spoke to his integrity - he didn't spin facts or sugarcoat anything as means to pry my wallet open. And so, despite his pessimism and the grim outlook, I decided to hire him in a desperate attempt to fight some of the charges. (I had to - due unrelated external factors, a DUI conviction on my record would likely have a catastrophic fallout, leading to a complete uprooting of my life and a few others.) He also seemed experienced, capable and calm so I felt that, at the very least, my bad case was in good hands, which gave me a faint glimmer of hope. As time dragged on and acute distress set in, that glimmer of hope disappeared sometimes, turning me into a hysterical spazz. Yet, four months of sheer agony later, Mr. Barry's skilled efforts produced an astonishing result: HE WON MY LOSER CASE. I pled guilty to two of the three lesser charges, everything else was dismissed. As the judge spoke, I stood there in disbelief, pinching myself and welling up. Some of the details of Mr. Barry's legal strategy escape me, but here's what I found fascinating: he took the “aggravating factor” I mentioned in the beginning, dug out some vaguely relevant case law and then managed to build my defense around that aggravating factor. In other words, he turned what is normally an obvious liability into an “asset” of sorts, in that it became unexpected grounds for defense. This clever maneuver resulted in a dismissal of most of the charges against me. This remarkable defense is a clear testament to his above-average skills as far a devising an optimal tactic for a given case. I agree with other reviewers who say Mr. Barry is experienced, polite, patient and responsive. All that is true. I will add he is also grounded and unflappable - in stark contrast with my own occasional panicky agitation. Most importantly though, this is an expert who is clever, creative, resourceful and tireless in providing the most effective defense to the client. He doesn't make empty promises or create false hopes. Instead, he delivers beyond expectations. It doesn't hurt that he has excellent courtroom skills and that he had enough common sense, good will and grace to have forged decent working relationships with a number of local prosecutors. In conclusion, I don't believe my (well-deserved) ordeal would have ended in a dismissal of most charges had I hired another attorney. Outstanding representation.
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