279 Client Reviews
Showing 41 - 45 of 276 reviews | 5 stars
Posted by anonymous | May 07, 2024 | Hired Attorney
Great Experience
Michael went out of his way to make sure we understood the process and guided us with profesionalism and at the same time like a friend. Thank you for all your help
Dear Anonymous, This Client Review (#HaberPA's 240th on AVVO) comes on the heels of #239 (one need not be Pythagoras to do that math), but what may not be obvious to others yet which I know is that #239 was submitted by your son, & you are one (or both) of his parents. In my response to your son's kind Client Review (which was also both succinct & anonymously submitted) I discussed "the what & the why" of his case, both to provide context & for the benefit of the reader (but also as there's no way for anyone to identify him, or you for that matter). That said & in response to your Client Review I wish to take a different (bad pun warning) tact. A large portion of #HaberPA's mantra is to "take a 'Global Approach' to the Client & the case & come to understand the Client & her/his situation", & we stand by that blueprint in each & every case. That said, like you I am a boater, I too have a son who's about the same age as yours & when we met (together with our mutual friend) at your home, as we discussed the situation, as I got to know something about your son and your family, silently in my mind I was saying to myself: "But for the grace of G-d there go I [my son]"... Knowing that this situation could just as easily have happened to me & my family, I had a particular empathy for you & yours. That observed another component of #HaberPA's mantra is to "engage the Client with open, honest, direct & frequent communication & to be easily reachable by phone, email or on the internet", & we absolutely & unequivocally stand by that methodology in each & every case. Still, lawyers are bound by ethical canons which include "confidentiality of communications" & the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship. I mention this as not withstanding it having been your boat, your son & your having foot the bill (i.e. you payed your son's legal fees) it was your son who was the Client, not you, & as such it was to your son that my duty, loyalty & reticence was singularly owed. As such it was only because your son directed me to communicate freely & openly with you that I was able to do so (& again, I was affected as, "But for the grace...", i.e. were it my son then I would hope that he would be as completely trusting of me as your son was of you). One more part of #HaberPA's mantra is to "adopt the Client's interests as our own", & in this regard it's not a stretch to say that I tend to develop a personal stake in both the case & the Client. I suppose that this is more obvious in some cases than in others but in either event while I always effort at maintaining a respectable & appropriate degree of professionalism it's not uncommon for friendships to develop (ergo one of my taglines that "You come to #HaberPA as a client but before we're done you'll be a part of our family."). So when you proffered to the folks that I "guided us with profesionalism and at the same time like a friend" it's especially meaningful & moving to me, for above and beyond the standard, customary joy that I get for a job well-done (when I achieve a litigation objective), knowing that I was simultaneously professional & personal makes success that much sweeter. In the end your son's case, like many a DUI / BUI case nowadays (in the technological era), would be made or broken on the BWC footage; still there were options & tough decisions to be made (especially as on BWC your son objectively presented far better than I expected after our detailed discussion of the events of the day). While I provided guidance it was your son, with your sage counsel, who made the decision as to how to proceed, & I believe that it'll work out very well. An arrest can happen to anyone, especially on the water, but how you deal with it largely effects how it deals with you. Knowing you know this I'll say it anyhow: You should be proud of your son as, apart from his (understandably) agreeing to take FSTs, he comported himself perfectly. Thanking you again for your kind words, MAH/Esq. #HaberPA
Posted by anonymous | January 04, 2024 | Hired Attorney
Money Well Spent
Well to start I would like to thank Mr. Haber and his team for all of their hard work and dedication to my case. I am a US Marine Corps Veteran that was facing a15year mandatory minimum . Over a period of two and a half years I was on house arrest with traveling restrictions Mr Haber and his team sub...
“Dear Anonymous Client, Thank you so much for your kind words (in the form of #HaberPA's 238th Client Review on AVVO) &, more importantly (to me personally), thank you for your service to our great Country as one of "the few, the proud, the Marines". Your wife submitted an anonymous review (#HaberPA's 236th on AVVO - anyone can find it 2 reviews below this one), hers was based upon her unique interaction with me while you were pretrial detained in jail, unable to post bond due to the absolute ineptness of the first lawyer whom your family had hired & my detailed response was tailored to her experience. Your independent review allows me to expound on my reply to her, but with a more in depth discussion of your situation. You are an Honorably Discharged military veteran who served in Iraq & Afghanistan and who was primarily assigned to a "demining squad". Why do I know that & what relevance does it have? I know because I fully vetted your life experience with you so as to both come to understand my client & also in consideration of possible "mitigation of sentence" issues. (At #HaberPA we enter every case with the intent to "win", but "winning" has many definitions & reality dictates that while we "pull all stops" in efforting at securing a Nolle Pros / dismissal / "Not Guilty" verdict / acquittal, we'd be remiss in our duty were we to fail to consider the possibilities of either plea negotiations or an adverse judgment, the latter requiring us to contemplate mitigation strategies - i.e. ways to secure a reduction in sentence - & this is something that we do from the get go & contemporaneous with tearing apart State evidence & building a defense case.) In any event you're diagnosed with PTSD (understandably so after what you experienced in the theater of operations) & while you improve every day you've not been able to hold a job since your discharge, instead caring for your 2 young daughters while you receive VA care & your wife works full & overtime. For a literal period of years two scumbags (people you knew but not that they were Federal Confidential Informants trying to "work off" time from their own federal drug cases by proactively setting up others for arrest) had hounded you to secure cocaine for them. You repeatedly said no but they were incessant, knowing your mental state, your family's financial situation &, as predators do, sensing your weakness. Over time & with repeated promises of booty & security they wore you down, you agreed to secure 2 kilos of cocaine & when you delivered them you were arrested on the spot. As you had no prior criminal history & given the facts (both as alleged by the government & as proffered by you) we put forth a classic Entrapment Defense. We compelled disclosure of the CIs, built our case & when the time was right we filed a Written Demand for Speedy Trial. A mere handful of questions into his direct examination the CI caused a Mistrial & we had to start over. For reasons which I outlined in your wife's review the case was ultimately dismissed, but the important thing is that we skillfully & strategically wielded both the Rules of Criminal Procedure & the Rules of Evidence to take the tactical advantages which resulted in the dismissal, but we also employed a great deal of guile in accomplishing that end. That said, knowing that which you willfully sacrificed & the price that you continue to pay for that sacrifice so that I, the ones whom I love & every other American can live under the umbrella of the freedom that you & your military brethren so selflessly provide, your case was particularly meaningful to me. Noting that demining in Middle East war zones is all but unfathomable to me, still, in light of the villainous scum who simply sought personal profit from their intentional criminal acts off of your selfless service & unwilling penance is deplorable. I could not be prouder to have helped anyone else. Semper Fi & thank you again (for everything). Respectfully, MAH/Esq. #HaberPA”
Posted by anonymous | December 28, 2023 | Hired Attorney
Expungement
Mr. Haber is very professional and always on top with everything. I knew I could have relied on him with multiple cases. Very great gentlemen and always on point with everything he does. I am very thankful for everything he has done, I highly recommend hiring Mr. Haber with any legal issues.
“Dear Anonymous, Thank you so very much for your kind words (in the form of #HaberPA's 237th Client Review on AVVO). #HaberPA loves taglines and over the years we have conjured and pushed many. For example, "#UPx2" is a modified acronym that stands for "Shut-Up and Lawyer-Up" and is a quick and easy way to remember both to and how to invoke your 5th Amendment Right to Remain Silent and your 6th Amendment Right to Counsel. "The Three Wrongs", is a reference to being in "the wrong place at the wrong time and coming into contact with the wrong cop", the point of which is to suggest that you have some degree of control over both where and with whom you choose to go / to be but there remains a variable ("the wrong cop") over which you have no control and which can quickly ruin your day (in any event there's no denying that the convergence of these "three wrongs" definitely will not make a right). "The Three Ms" refer to "Motion" (in the year 1686 Sir Isaac Newton's masterpiece, the "Principia Mathematica Philosophiae Naturalis", was published postulating his Three Laws of Motion, the 3rd of which is that "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction"), "Merton" (Professor Robert K. Merton coined the "Law of Unintended Consequences", which holds that while you may act intending "X" result, unanticipated or unforeseen outcomes can and do happen, and when they do, despite your lack of intent you remain accountable) and "Murphy" (in 1949, while working at Edwards Air Force Base on United States Air Force Project MX981 - a project designed to see how much sudden deceleration a person can stand in a crash - Captain Edward A. Murphy, an engineer, would first find an transducer which was incorrectly wired, then locate the responsible / irresponsible technician and reportedly say: "If there is any way to do it wrong, he'll find it", thus coining the now infamous "Murphy's Law"), together these "Three Ms" remind us of three things, to wit: No matter what you do sh*t is gonna happen, it's not possible to anticipate all of the potential sh*t that might happen and if "bad sh*t" can happen, then it will happen. Finally "The Three Cs" are a simply reference to "Cops, Courts and Constitutions" (as in: "When it comes to "The Three Cs" remember to #UPx2 and call #HaberPA, stat!"). If you're wondering why I just wrote 379 words using up 2,199 of the 4,000 characters allotted to me to respond the answer is simply that your Client Review just now inspired a similar catchphrase, to wit: "The Three Ss" - "Short, Succinct and Sweet" - as was your kind Client Review. That said you hired me to prepare and to file a Petition to Expunge your previously dismissed criminal case, which is far from rocket science but, still, is a painstakingly detailed process. Having done hundreds of these over 3+ decades I have streamlined that part of the process that we can control (note that I have no control over how long or efficient either the State Attorney's Office or the Florida Department of Law Enforcement chooses to be); specifically I have all of the forms handy and ready (they are "plug and play", simply needing to be personalized to the client's specific case), once tasked I customize and email them to the client with detailed step-by-step, "childproof" instructions. The quicker that the client accomplishes the few things that I cannot do for her/him (e.g. execute the prepared application and affidavit in the presence of a notary and get fingerprinted at a local police station) the quicker that I can get the ball rolling. All things equal (again depending upon the SAO and FDLE respectively) the expungement process can be expected to take 3-9 months but, again, the client can either assist or obstruct, and in your case it was absolute assistance. Being the responsible client you were allowed me to be an effective advocate, so please accept my gratitude (both for your help and kind words). Wishing you a Happy New Year! Fondly, MAH/Esq. #HaberPA ”
Posted by anonymous | December 19, 2023 | Hired Attorney
Criminal Defense
Working with Mike and his team was the best decision my husband and I made. Our first attorney made no progress for the first month and a half of the case. With a Nebbia bond hanging over our head Mike was able to get my husband out in no time. We live a few counties away from where the case took pla...
“Dear Anonymous, Thank you so much for your kind words (#HaberPA's AVVO Client Review # 236). As you indicated, when we first spoke your husband had been rotting in a jail cell for about 6 weeks, unable to post bond due to his then-lawyer's inability to satisfy NEBBIA. (Aside alert: Your husband was charged with Cocaine Trafficking, his bond was set at $500k w/ NEBBIA - a painstaking if not complicated procedural requirement that the accused must "prove" to both the Prosecutor's & Judge's satisfaction the legit source of funds used to post bond. While NEBBIA is a niche area any criminal defense lawyer competent to handle a narcotics trafficking case should be able to navigate the same; unfortunately, your husband's first lawyer proved himself to be utterly incompetent, costing you, your 2 young daughters & your husband about 6 weeks of his life, time which can never be returned.) You reached out to me primarily out of frustration, we vetted the immediate issue, your husband discharged his lawyer, I got on board &, armed with a complete picture of your family's finances I got to work, negotiating with an obstinate Prosecutor & ultimately the Court, securing a reduction in bond from ½Mil to $100k, albeit with a GPS monitor. As your family resides in Palm Beach County, Miami-Dade County Corrections' Monitored Release Program wouldn't accept supervision & so we went elsewhere, locating & engaging a reputable private company which both offered services & was acceptable to the Court. Within a week's time we secured your husband's release (with "free roaming" nonetheless), after which we got to work on the case itself. So as to be responsive to your observations (but also hoping that your husband will submit his own client review, allowing me to focus on other significant matters about his case) I won't take too deep of a dive into the facts & circumstances here and now; rather I'll continue with my tractable response to your kind review. Although #HaberPA's "default" position is to rapidly & aggressively prepare cases (in my experience, there's a tactical advantage to my intentionally limited caseload versus the State Attorney's ceaseless stream of new cases) but on occasion time can be an ally, & that (inadvertently) proved to be true in your husband's case. Our first Judge was a "rookie" who had no experience whatsoever in the criminal realm (yet was presiding over a case where your husband faced 30 years in State Prison with a 15 year minimum/mandatory) &, as stated, the first set of Assistant State Attorneys were literal "Prosecuting Robots" (as opposed to their ethical role of "Minister of Justice"). Fortunately Judge #1 proved to be so inept that he was re-assigned, leading us to Judge #2, who's prior career was as a top tier criminal defense attorney. Knowing that he'd understand our Entrapment Defense, give us a great deal of latitude in cross-examination of the Confidential Informant / CI & a very fair trial we accelerated the case by filing a Written Demand for Speedy Trial. Unfortunately on Day 2 a Mistrial was declared, forcing us to start all over. More disappointingly, post-Mistrial Judge# 2 sua sponte recused himself, sending us to Judge #3 who was far worse than Judge #1 (in legal terms he suffered from a case of "Black Robe Disease" a/k/a "Robeitis", worse yet, not only was he also utterly unfamiliar with criminal procedure - like Judge #1 - but he spuriously fancied himself a genius), causing us to recuse him & land before Judge #4 (who, like Judge #2, was also a top tier criminal defense attorney in his prior life). Long story short by this time the State's CI (who worked for the DEA in a Joint Task Force) had been shipped off to Federal Prison & so we filed another "Speedy Bomb". We literally ran out the clock out, forcing the Prosecutor to announce a "Nolle Pros" (i.e. to dismiss the case). In the end skill, guile & experience won your husband's freedom. Congrats & Happy Holidays! Fondly, MAH/Esq. #HaberPA”
Posted by anonymous | November 01, 2023 | Hired Attorney
Great Strategy, Great Outcome!
After a short, celebratory weekend in Miami, and a run in with Miami PD in the 305, I found myself in need of council for two misdemeanor charges. With no criminal background and no first hand knowledge of the criminal justice system, I returned to my out-of-state home to begin negotiating the charge...
Dear Anonymous, Thank you for your kind Client Review (#HaberPA's 235th on AVVO)! As you've not identified yourself & for the benefit of those who read this I'll elaborate a bit on your now closed case. You were arrested, booked & released after posting bond while a tourist in The 305. Upon returning to your hometown you began a long distance search for representation. I don't know how many lawyers you spoke with before choosing to hire #HaberPA but when we spoke, having reviewed your Arrest / Probable Cause Affidavit & with the benefit of your version of events, I took the time to thoroughly explain the possibilities, to field all of your questions, & to outline a plan of action (with contingencies). Once you agreed I embarked upon achieving your goal (to wit: a Dismissal without entering a Diversionary Program). Because you reside out of State & as yours was a Misdemeanor case the Rules of Criminal Procedure permit for remote representation; as such, together with my written Retainer Agreement I prepared & emailed you a Verified Motion to Proceed in Absentia (seeking permission for you NOT to have to appear in Court), a Verified Change of Plea in Absentia (to maintain in my file as a proverbial emergency parachute, albeit with no plan on using it) & when you returned the original notarized documents to me I waited until a day before your Arraignment to file my Appearance, Demands for Discovery & Trial & the Absentia Motion (waiting until the day before Arraignment guaranteed that ⅓ of your "Speedy Trial" time would have ticked &, knowing both the Miami-Dade County Clerk of Court & State Attorney's Office as I do it was a good bet - albeit not a certainty - that a large portion, if not all of the remaining ⅔'s, would be eaten-up before the case was set for Trial & before the Prosecutor sent out the discovery). As the 90th day neared (90 days being the Speedy Trial time for a Misdemeanor arrest in FL) we had no discovery & your case was not yet set for Trial, leaving us in a dilemma. Do we file a Notice of Expiration, clue in the State & give the Judge an opportunity to ramrod us into a literal Speedy Trial or do we wait for the Trial Date to be set, see if discovery is tendered & then react accordingly? I chose the latter path, your case was set for Trial shortly thereafter (in front of a Judge who does not conduct "Sounding" / Status Hearings before Trial settings) & the State had still not provided any discovery. One week to the day before Trial I filed (but did not calendar) a Motion to Compel Discovery & a Request for a State Charged Continuance (thus preserving your Speedy Trial rights while leaving the door open to seek a dismissal at the Trial call should the State not have it's witnesses in the Courtroom & at the ready). I appeared for Trial in your absence, the State was not ready, I withdrew my Motion to Compel & to Continue, the Court denied the State's "ore tenus" (oral, in Court, without notice) request for a Continuance & your case was Nolle Pros'd / Dismissed. Why / how did that happen? Experience, that's why / how. Knowing - make that "mastering" - the Rules of Procedure & Evidence, employing guile, being aware of, attuned to & alert for loopholes & technicalities allowed me to serve you precisely as we contemplated. Had we chosen another path (such as filing the Notice of Expiration) then we may not have achieved the desired result (not as sweetly as we did anyhow). As you noted, during the course of the case (which was about 3½ months start to finish) we spoke, emailed & texted regularly (hopefully I never kept you waiting long), I kept you fully informed, you were able to live your life "as if" there was no Miami criminal case & within a reasonable amount of time I secured your Dismissal in your absence & with no further inconvenience to your life. Your trust in me both paid off for you & is greatly appreciated by me, as is your kind Client Review. Wishing you all the best! Fondly, MAH/Esq. #HaberPA