Christine Louise Garcia

I had the great misfortune of hiring Christine to represent me regarding a case against my neighbor who, without my knowledge, trapped my 2 cats, took them to the SPCA, had them neutered when they were female and already neutered years ago. I went to the SPCA and retrieved the scant paperwork with m...y neighbor's signature admitting the cats as his own. Both cats were years old; one almost bled out because of the surgery and was taken home by the vet that night I was told. My neighbor picked up the cats the next day, and neighborhood rumor had it he waited until dark and took them to the Pacific Coast highway and let them out. Ms. Garcia had evidence, neighbors who testified on my behalf, and could have had the woman at the SPCA testify if she hadn't, unbeknownst to me, faxed her the subpoena to appear in court instead of serving it properly in a timely manner. Regardless of what you may think of my desire for justice for 2 cats who considered me their home, who answered to their names, who I took care of for 6 years, Christine took this case promising to put her all into it. I did not have experience in being in a courtroom. Christine not only lied to about the work she was doing to prepare for trial, the papers she was filing that she just was too "busy" to send to me, the laws that actually didn't exist she claimed would support my case, she had the audacity to tell me about a party she went to the night before we went to court and was a little tired from not getting enough sleep! In the courtroom she did not know how to phrase a question allowed by the Judge. It would take 5 or 6 tries to finally be allowed to pose a question. She had no preparation for our witnesses, put up a poster board on a stand and wrote a couple of things with crayon on it as our display. I don't remember know what it was; I think I blocked it out because I was so embarrassed. Christine never told me the possibilities of what could happen in trial, never explained I could be sanctioned and what that meant, essentially led me along with her animal rights angle that made me feel she was inexperienced but her heart was in the right place. Whatever you do, find another lawyer no matter what your situation is. She will cause you more grief and heartache than the reason you went to her in the first place.