Fred Ray and his team helped me to win what seemed to be an insurmountable case. I was up against the Board of Nursing, and, over the course of two excruciating years, was forced to endure months-long response periods without consideration for my individual case. I was asked to submit personal inform...ation and subject my family members, co-workers, employers, and friends to writing letters and giving testimony. My record had been expunged, and the one crime I had committed was not one of moral terpitude. I had paid my debt to society and been punished by the Court. It was not the Board of Nursing's job to put me back on trial for a case wholly unrelated to my impeccable work history and stellar performance in nursing school. The initial "settlement" that I was finally offered was an insult. Basically, I never would have been able to find a job in the field, and my education and time and money spent pursuing a career in nursing would have been for nothing.
Fred Ray and John Bishop were ready to fight for me from the moment it became apparent that the Board had no intention of settling the case fairly. My case was heard before an honorable judge from the Office of Administrative Hearings. Since I was facing financial ruin as a result of being prohibited from practicing in my chosen field, I was unable to take off time from work to meet with them before my hearing. They accommodated me by coming in on their time off to discuss with me what would happen during trial. I have had a personal tragedy that they knew would be addressed. Had they not taken the time to prepare me to speak about this topic, I would not have been able to keep my composure on the stand.
When my Court date arrived, they were extremely professional. Because of his calm demeanor in Court and plainly spoken language, the Court transcribers actually fought over the duty of transcribing for his particular case. He was also given accolades by the judge for being well prepared. It is clear that his work ethic and dedication to his clients is recognized by his peers within the legal community. During my trial, he showed concern for my state, and was very reassuring. Unlike the Board of Nursing, His Honor from the Office of Administrative Hearings looked over my documentation, listened to my case and the opposing counsel, and had questions of his own. He was in no way the kind of judge to sit on the sidelines and let the lawyers fight it out. To each of his questions, Fred was prepared with case law and answers and documentation that furthered my case. It was clear there was no case against me, and he made it obvious during trial. It also became clear on that day why Fred and John had required so much documentation from me, such as prior work evaluations, other state certifications in good standing, and copious letters and testimony from people ranging from friends to my psychologist. They had done all they could to prepare me and give His Honor an idea of who I am as a person, irrespective of a mistake I made, and regret, years ago.
His Honor ruled in my favor. However, the Board of Nursing can choose to fight a judge's decision. While they did not technically "adopt" the decision in my case, they did not fight it within the allotted 100 days. As a result, by course of law, the ruling became effective. I have already been working in the medical field, and have proven myself to be hard-working and dependable. I can now expand my duties to encompass those within the scope of practice of a Registered Nurse. Many opportunities have opened up to me, and I have Fred Ray and his wonderful staff (Shiela is the BEST office manager, by the way! And John's a very talented and motivated young lawyer!) to thank. I would highly recommend Fred Ray's law group to anyone fighting a licensing agency. These agencies don't see applicants as individuals. It takes a good law team to differentiate one's case and prevail. Good luck to you all!