Posted: 4/20/2009 12:45:05 PM EDT
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I had the 7 hour plea from hell today in court. Things started out bad, a calendar call with 6 cases on it all expected to go to trial. Most were appointed to me two weeks ago. I jumped on the ball and filed all my discovery motions and motions to suppress Jackson Denno general demurer... everything under the sun. Calender was today and I only had discovery on 2 cases. They have to provide discovery 10 days prior to trial and so I got there at 8:15. I am able to negotiate dismissals, and nolle prosses on cases 1-4. Case 5 I had no contact with. case 6 no contact and the letters came back undeliverable. I have to hang out to see if they come. 8:30 I find out #5 is in custody, he had been shipped to DeKalb which is why he wasn't in jail on thsi charge anywhere. But I grabbed his discovery discussed the case with him learned he only wanted a plea that got him out of Cobb and then negotiated that plea in accordance with the facts to get him out of Cobb and back to dealing with his more serious matters. Should be quick everyone happy.
300 people on the calendar. It's 11:30 before they hit my first one. Guy says "He never sent me a letter." I produce the letter and he then tells the court he forgot to ever notify anyone of his change of address or to contact the circuit defender to see if he was given a lawyer. Ok back to the races we go. I talk to prosecutor in #6 and set up my 5th (yes 5th) dismissal. Now only case #5 to go it's 11:45 and I'm feeling lucky. OK. Go tell the judge we're still ready on #5. and wait. and wait and wait It's now 2:30 no breaks. I have a habeas tomorrow, gonna take all day. Guy got completely hosed and we've had it on the calender with multiple witnesses subpoenaed for 6 months now. Judge announced at 2:45 that they were done for the day and everyone come back tomorrow. ~7 hours and nothing accomplished on pleading someone out. Only reason I was sitting there the whole time was to plea out one guy. No other announcements, no other cases, no way to wave it and come back, just wait. I announce I can't come back for a plea in the morning when I have this large previously set case. Then I'm told it doesn't matter and that criminal takes precedence over civil.(which is true but why screw up someone's calendar for a simple plea, it'd be different if it was a full blown jury trial that had been on a calendar for months but today is the first any of this had ever come up) In the end they allowed me ever so graciously to attend my hearing tomorrow and come back on Wednesday to complete the case. I'm quite sure they'll leave me sitting all day on it again as punishment for being obstinate and refusing to come in tomorrow. But that's ok too, The county pays me $60 per hour waiting to do a plea. Oh and I happened to skip breakfast this morning figuring I'd be in and out in a half hour. Only good thing was BSing with dpmsmcullen... |
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Man, that sucks. At least you can surf the web on your BB, right? If not, I'd go crazy. you ever seen how slow a BB loads big pages? and the scroll drives me insane! there has to be an unsecured wifi around there. using UMA is much faster, and you need to learn the shortcuts for page down and such. on the 8200 seriers 9 is pgdn, 3 pgup, 7 end, 1 home |
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I'm getting a unpaid inter this summer, how I have no idea but someone volunteered... i don't know if you remember, but prepare to spend hours you don't have training/instructing your intern. 
...unless you just tell them how you take your coffee. LOL is this person a hapless 1L? or a 2L that knows a little something and plans to hang his own shingle next year? (if you say it's an undergraduate intern....you are a kind and generous soul.  )
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I'm getting a unpaid inter this summer, how I have no idea but someone volunteered... i don't know if you remember, but prepare to spend hours you don't have training/instructing your intern.
...unless you just tell them how you take your coffee. LOL is this person a hapless 1L? or a 2L that knows a little something and plans to hang his own shingle next year? (if you say it's an undergraduate intern....you are a kind and generous soul. )Hey now, us undergraduates can do some stuff. We are great at beerpong and flip cup. Does that count? |
| I believe it's a 1L but I might be wrong. The intern is doing something else too but wanted to see a little criminal and I can't let the intern do anything other than observe because of the bar rules and I'm not a non-profit. Although it seems like it some days... |
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I believe it's a 1L but I might be wrong. The intern is doing something else too but wanted to see a little criminal and I can't let the intern do anything other than observe because of the bar rules and I'm not a non-profit. Although it seems like it some days... cool, sounds like you will get time to get your work done then.
you do strike me as someone that would enjoy an intern, much as i enjoy an occasional trainee or ride-along. |
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LOL Can I relate. I drive a big rig, I have court tomorrow(wish I could afford a lawer). Our company does tradeshowes, we have a show moving in at Houston, Tx convention center. I have to cover a load going out. Monday (yesterday) boss can not find a load coming back to Ga. I'm told if I just drive back it's on me, no pay. So I drive back, I have to be in court wensday at 9 am. So I have a good mad going and I'm driving back for free. So a little over half way back at 9:30 this morning the court calls THE JUDGE IS SICK, No court.
So Yea I can relate.. |
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Sorry I only understood 75% of that. I worked 80 hours last week myself and even got to play bossman for a few days. If it makes you feel better you probaly make more then me. The rates he is quoting are revenue, which is not the same as his profit. In order to determine profit, one must deduct the expenses he has in running a law office. Have you checked even the cost of good legal research online materials, like Westlaw? Commerical space rent? He has to work several hours just to pay his stinking bar dues every year. On top of that, not all time spent is billable, and not all billable time ends up paid, particularly when you represent people who end up in jail before they pay their bill. I post this only because I know that there are people that see the $60 and $45 and think it is a lot of money, but you can't run a law office on that, particularly in Atlanta. |