Bruce Michael Rivers

STOP!!!DO NOT HIRE THIS ATTORNEY!!!! January 2019 Bruce Rivers was first hired to get my seized truck back.After telling him circumstances his EXACT words were, "For $3500 I 100% guarantee I'll get you your truck back." Well what he did was kept putting off the court date. Finally 6 months later my e...x and I go to my hearing. No attorney was present. Judge asks who I am and says oh yes the procecuter and Mr. Rivers informed him criminal charges would be filed soon making this hearing irrelevant.(still waiting for 3500 refund) So he says they are gonna charge me but doesn't know with what but he want $15000 now. He says he will work with $5000 more making it $8500 total and we figure out rest later. In Dec.2019 he says they put warrant out and to turn myself in.(he gave them 11 months to turn the guy originally charged against me, instead if fighting for my truck right away) Once in custody Bruce did not show up for ANY of my hearing. Though he was paid $3500 in Jan-2019 and $5000 in June-2019 at my 2nd hearing he missed the judge told me Bruce had not even registered as my legal attorney. And this was January or February 2020. He'd been hired a year ago. Very rarely could I even reach him by phone. I was in Polk county jail 72 days and he did not go over my discovery with me AT ALL. Didn't even get me copy of it for 60 days. I repeatedly told the lady that answers his phone I wanted a bail reduction hearing or a 1 day furlough to take care of my CDL. He did neither. He said prosecutor would pull plea deal if he asked for a furlough or bail reduction hearing. I wanted to go to trial but Bruce said we would lose and all he talked about was how good prosecutor is and how big our fish to fry is. So he says plead to 3rd degree poss. He said S.A. says I have 3 points but he doesn't think I do. I know I don't, I have 2. So THE ONLY HEARING HE SHOWED UP FOR IS MY GUILTY PLEA. There he says ya you do have 3 points. He shows me a handwritten point sheet from S.A. not a PSI calculations sheet. He gave me a FULL FELONY POINT for a past misdemeanor. And when I said no I want a PSI Bruce said no that will push sentencing out 4 months and SA would pull deal(how, guilty plea in already and it would've been just sentencing hearing). I could go on &on about what Bruce did not do for me but I will just leave it at I want my money back for breach of contract, I am reporting all this and more(he called my ex and her attorney and was screaming and swearing at them) to the lawyers professional board , the bar, anyone I can report him to. he didn't show up for any hearings but one... I've applied for the MN Office of the Appellate Public Defender to take my case to fix my points since my hired attorney was incapable of doing his job. One more thing to note. SA wanted fine of $500. I said to Bruce argue that they are getting $13000 truck that's enough. He stated he wasn't gonna worry bout $500.(course not he sat back collected $8500 to show up for a plea bargain) Luckily we didn't mute mic and judge heard that and way lowered the fine. Chad

Mr. Rivers initially told me he was about "aggressive representation", turns out he wasnt. It was the exact opposite. In fact he didn't even call in to an appearance I had, and when the court clerk's tried to reach him he was "unavailable". Which is funny because his "team" sent me a letter reminding... me to set it in my calendar and I'm positive he got a similar heads up seeing as it was him who sent me a reminder. Then after all is said and done and I had been sentenced and locked up I get a letter stating that my bail (which was a considerable amount) was being seized and that Mr Rivers had done absolutely nothing, not even tell me this was a possibility or that he had basically told the state to keep it. Needless to say, I would have rather hired some zoo animal in wingtips and a suit than Mr. Rivers and I suggest you do the same.

I initially sent him an email via his website briefly explaining myself, my situation & asked him a couple of questions. I instantly received an email reply saying "call me". So I called. It was obvious he hadn't even read my email because of the questions he asked me. Our entire phone call lasted ...about 30 seconds before he said "I have to be in court, I can't talk to you" & hung up on me.