1.) BROAD EXPERIENCE means
frequently going to trial in heavy felony matters that involve having
the client's very freedom in the lawyer's hands. This is the only
way that your attorney can acquire the expertise required to
competently handle any kind of criminal case, from a heavy felony to a
DUI.
My criminal law practice has evolved from having been lead
prosecutor and Deputy Attorney General, handling all Special
Prosecutions, including the post-conviction phase of a death penalty
case. I now have my own private criminal defense practice, and I have
over twenty years of criminal defense experience in over 3,500 criminal
cases.
I have defended numerous "three strikes" cases, and I have
successfully won motions to strike prior convictions in such cases. I
also have successfully defended a client facing "Life Without
Possibility of Parole" and successfully defended a client facing a life
sentence for kidnapping. On the misdemeanor side, I have handled
thousands of cases, including over 1,000 DUI cases.
There are certain attorneys who
claim to take "all types of cases," but rarely handle little more than
misdemeanors. "Broad experience" in criminal law does not apply
to attorneys who handle mostly misdemeanors, traffic tickets, or DUI
cases.
My broad experience in heavy criminal trial work
will benefit any criminal case you might have, from a first-time DUI to
any heavy felony case.
2.) INTEGRITY in your attorney is
indispensable. Your criminal lawyer should never have been disciplined
by the California State Bar or any other license granting or
disciplinary authority (such as federal courts or the bar associations
of other states).
Each lawyer has an online page
with the State Bar of California, and in the "Disciplinary
and Related Actions" section at the bottom of the page it should read:
"This member has
no record of public discipline."
If
the attorney has ever been suspended or disbarred, then you
should find out the reasons for the disciplinary action. Then ask
yourself if this lawyer would still be acceptable to you as your legal
counsel.
You should also ask whether
your prospective attorney has ever been sued by a client for malpractice
or any other breach of a client's trust.
Personally, I have never been
disciplined by the State Bar of California or any other authority or
jurisdiction. Nor have I ever been sued by any client for malpractice
or any other breach of a client's trust.
This is the level of proven
integrity that is indispensable for the trust that you will have to
place in your criminal lawyer, and I pledge this degree of integrity in
the handling of your case, as I do with every case that I am privileged
to have.
3.) ACADEMIC ABILITY to
prepare your case is critical to the best outcome of your criminal
case.
The best objective test of
academic ability is whether your lawyer passed the California Bar
Examination the first time. I'm proud to say that I passed on my first
Bar Exam.
Here's the real reason people
flunk the Bar Exam: they weren't prepared. Flunking the Bar
Exam is the equivalent of flunking out of college or law school. Lack
of preparedness is a bad omen for your case, where your lawyer will have
only one chance to help you.
Your attorney should also have graduated
from a law school fully accredited by American Bar Association (ABA),
not just a "state" accredited, or worse yet, an "unaccredited" law
school.
Your attorney should have
earned at the least a full Bachelor's Degree from an accredited
University before law school (believe it or not, some attorneys have
less than two years of undergraduate study before entering into an
unaccredited law school).
My law school, Southwestern Law School of
Los Angeles, is one of the very first law schools established in
California. I received the degree of Juris Doctor, ranked in the top
25% of my class. Southwestern Law School is fully accredited by the
American Bar Association (ABA), and it has produced more judges in
California than any other law school in the country.
I received a Bachelor's Degree
in Political Science from California State University at Long Beach,
the largest campus in the University system.
In short, a lawyer's academic
ability is a prime indicator of how your criminal case will be be
prepared.
AN AFTERWORD
There
is one more factor in finding a good lawyer: it is that certain "gut
feeling" of trust and confidence that only you can determine. Getting a
lawyer requires this deep sense of trust and confidence for you and
your defense attorney to work together toward the best possible outcome
of your criminal case.
It is my sincere wish that I can have the opportunity to
acquire this trust and ultimately justify it with my performance in your
criminal case.
I am San Francisco defense attorney Michael Ross, and I may
be reached to arrange a consultation for your case at: (415) 345-1335.
DISCLAIMER: ACCESSING THE INFORMATION
ON THIS WEBSITE AND/OR TRANSMITTING ANY CASE INFORMATION WHATSOEVER VIA
TELEPHONE, EMAIL, OR BY ANY OTHER MEANS DOES NOT CREATE OR IMPLY ANY
ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP. NO ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP ARISES OR
EXISTS UNTIL YOU HAVE ENTERED INTO A FORMAL RETAINER AGREEMENT WITH
ATTORNEY MICHAEL ROSS. NO ATTORNEY CAN GUARANTEE THE OUTCOME IN ANY
CRIMINAL CASE. TO AVOID DAMAGING YOUR CRIMINAL CASE IRREVERSIBLY, YOU
MUST CONSULT WITH AN EXPERIENCED CRIMINAL ATTORNEY AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE. THIS WEBSITE IS INTENDED ONLY TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE
GENERAL PUBLIC. ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS NOT INTENDED FOR
USE AND SHOULD NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BE USED OR RELIED UPON IN THE
APPLICATION TO ANY ACTUAL CASE. ALL INFORMATION WILL BE HELD STRICTLY
CONFIDENTIAL WHETHER OR NOT YOU RETAIN MICHAEL ROSS AS YOUR ATTORNEY.