People v. B.U.
N/AOUTCOME: Felony conviction vacated.
Client plead guilty to making criminal threats, a felony. Unfortunately, the plea resulted from desperation after the client's former attorneys worked to have his bail revoked, landing him back in jai ... l. When the client objected, his former attorneys declared a doubt as to his competence, preventing him from complaining about his attorneys to the court. Although the client was later found to be competent by a court-appointed expert, the client sat in jail for months, waiting for his lawyers, who wanted to plead him guilty rather than demand a speedy trial. Afterward, the client hired new counsel and moved to vacate the judgment of conviction based on ineffective assistance of counsel. The private esentation to the prosecution was so compelling that even the government lawyer was convinced that the client had been cheated by his former attorneys. Prosecutor dropped his opposition to defendant's motion, which the court granted. Client eventually settled the case without any felony conviction.