Edwin Eloy Aguilar

Edwin Aguilar was my court-appointed defense attorney. My experience with his representation was deeply concerning and left me genuinely shocked by his lack of preparation, communication, and apparent knowledge of my case. After my appeal was denied, Mr. Aguilar was appointed to represent me. I was s...cheduled for a Sentence Hearing, while a Rule 32 petition for post-conviction relief and a request to postpone execution of my jail sentence pending the Rule 32 proceedings were also pending. Because I had never previously been involved in the criminal court system, I did not understand the purpose or procedure of the Sentence Hearing. I therefore expected my appointed attorney to review my case, contact me, explain the procedure, and prepare to advocate for me. I repeatedly attempted to contact Mr. Aguilar by telephone. When he finally answered, he told me that he had not yet received my case from the court, had not received any documents, and did not even know that I was his client. He told me to call again approximately one week later. I did so, but he did not answer. After several additional attempts, he eventually answered. I had also sent him emails containing specific questions about my case, but he did not respond to them in writing. I asked whether I should sign a document requested by an attorney representing the deceased's family concerning my financial circumstances and an insurance claim. I also asked whether I could file Form 24(b) concerning my Rule 32 petition myself and whether the form I had completed was appropriate. His response was essentially a brief verbal "yes," without meaningful legal explanation or guidance. Until the day of the Sentence Hearing, I had never met him. When I arrived at court, I was standing outside the closed courtroom with one other man. He was silent and did not speak to me or acknowledge me. I eventually approached him and asked whether he was Edwin Aguilar, the attorney appointed to represent me. He said yes. I was genuinely stunned. I realized that the person standing silently beside me was the attorney officially appointed to represent me in a criminal case involving a jail sentence, yet he had never contacted me to prepare for the hearing, had never met with me, and had barely communicated with me. I asked whether he had reviewed my case, read my emails, and why he had not responded to my communications. He said that he had called me back and that there was nothing he needed to write in response to my emails. I then asked about my request to postpone execution of my jail sentence while my Rule 32 petition was pending. He told me that, generally, denying such a request would be procedurally improper, particularly where there was no flight risk. I therefore entered the courtroom believing that my attorney understood the issue and was prepared to advocate for me. What happened inside the courtroom was completely different. The hearing lasted approximately ten to fifteen minutes. When questions concerning my case were raised, Mr. Aguilar repeatedly indicated that he did not know the answer or was unfamiliar with the matter. His responses included: "I don't know," "I haven't read it," "I don't know about that," "I wasn't present," "I just received the case," and "I don't know what I can do about this." These statements were extremely alarming because this was not an initial consultation. He was appearing as my appointed defense attorney at a sentencing-related hearing after my appeal had already been decided and after I had filed a Rule 32 petition and other requests concerning my sentence. He appeared unfamiliar with the facts and procedural history of my case. He did not appear to have reviewed the relevant filings, did not appear prepared to discuss the issues before the court, and did not present a meaningful argument on my behalf. Most importantly, I had no opportunity before the hearing to sit down with my appointed attorney, explain my position, review the issues, discuss strategy

He helped me and my family finally have peace of mind. I really had difficulties with my case because my ex husband always had a lawyer and I couldn't afford one. One day I just went down the list of lawyers I was recommended, Edwin was the only one that returned my call. And I'm glad he did, he w...as very patient with me and made me feel confident every step of the way. His fees were not over the top like other attorneys I contacted. He took into consideration that I had done all the leg work before I contacted him and was fair in his pricing. THANK YOU EDWIN -