John M Halpern Jr

We trusted Mr. Halpern who at first assured us he could help with my son's criminal case. He had very poor communication with the family and also with his client for that matter. He told us that he would have no problem negotiating with the DA to get a fair deal and a fair outcome. He did negotiat...e, did not attempt to communicate with the DA and continued to tell us that he was working hard. We found out that he tried to make a deal the day before my son's court date and then pressured my son into taking the deal. He gave all of us false hope. My son got one of the harshest sentences I have ever seen. Be cautious when hiring Mr. Halpern, he doesn't appear to work hard for his clients.

My experience with Mr. Halpern was pleasant, but unproductive. On multiple occasions I was forced to leave as many as 4 or 5 messages before he would return a call. My case dragged on for several months, and Mr. Halpern appeared literally bored with preparation. I was unable to nail down a date to... make final preparations for trial(he took a vacation just prior to my actual trial, and was unavailable). Mr. Halpern was familiar with the law, as I would expect from anyone in his profession. He was courteous and respectful when I was able to meet with him in person, and his conduct in the courtroom was professional. My biggest complaint was definitely how difficult it was to nail down a meeting time, and the lack of communication on his part prior to trial. We rescheduled our "final meeting" prior to trial on 3 separate occasions, after I was already en route to his office. The "final meeting" occurred 20 minutes before trial was to take place. He had agreed to meet an hour early for preparation. John was professional in the court room, and pleasant to deal with in person. He understood the law and had many solid suggestions for defending my case. If he had been more willing to meet and prepare for trial, I would have given him 4 stars. The best lawyer in the world can't hope to win a case without proper preparation, and Mr. Halpern would do well to remember that.