Halfway knowing I may be facing a prison term for the charges against me, I thought I could work with a PD, however, after a few "pretrial conferences" and seeing that the state was not budging on their offer, I didn't know what I was going to do. Eventually, the judge advised me that if I didn't accept the states offer that very day in court, I would be looking at a lengthy prison term of 10+ years if I took this case to trial and lost. Scared to death, and contemplating leaving the state, I was going to have to tell my family the reality of what was happening. Bad timing on my part, as my younger sister had just passed away in March 2014. They didn't deserve this, to lose another daughter, although not in death, but the similarities are too familiar. I wanted to talk to a lawyer, to see if there was any light in this tunnel of doom I was facing, and see if I stood any kind of chance for a different outcome. I made appointments with 5 separate attorneys, and was not pleased with what I was hearing after having them read my police report, speaking with me and hearing what the best possible outcome might or might not be. Kristen was my 4th consultation, and upon meeting her, I appreciated her up front approach, not candy coating what she was telling me. Hearing from her what others had basically said as well, I felt like I could trust her, and couldn't be more thankful for making the decision to have her represent me. Still in her office, while reading the police report, she stated that she believed my Fourth Amendment had been violated by the officer who arrested me, with an illegal search. Could this be real? After all, she does teach other attorneys the rights and laws of citizens regarding the Fourth Amendment. This was impressive! Right from the beginning, Kristen let me know what the possibilities were that I was facing, yet she was confident in the approach she had in mind to getting me a lesser sentence or maybe a complete dismissal. Her honesty and integrity was something I knew I could believe in. Kristen’s approach in court regarding this violation to my rights was incredulous and over the top in knowledge, and challenging for the officer in my case. She stated the facts of the case, never backing down from the prosecutor who attacked every statement and motion Kristen made. his prosecutor was determined not to lose this case!! The final hearing was taken into advisement by the judge, which meant the judge would make a decision in a few weeks, after reviewing all the facts in my case. However, leaving court that day, I knew that because of Kristen’s professionalism and knowledge of the Fourth Amendment, and how it applied in my case, it was only a matter of time before hearing my case was dismissed, which is exactly what happened. But we were not done yet!! The prosecutor had filed an appeal on the judge’s decision, and I now stood a chance of having my dismissal overturned by a higher court!! My family didn’t know what to think, let alone the thoughts in my own head. The possibility was real, and Kristen let me know what could happen, and that this process could take another year before a decision was made in the Appellate Court. It seemed like this case would never end!! Then 4 months later, the best phone call I ever received was from Kristen, advising me that the prosecutor filed a motion to dismiss the appeal and that my case is done and over with forever!! Praise God, I could breathe again, putting the past behind me, and allowing me to move forward in my life. There aren't enough words to describe how thankful and grateful I am for having Kristen handle my case. I would recommend a person facing any criminal charges, to at least let her review the case, and have her give her opinion of the possibilities. It will be the closest thing to knowing how to move ahead . . . with or without her on your side. I would always choose having her on my side, NO MATTER WHAT!!!
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