Lisa Pelosi: I don’t like to have conversations with the prosecutor and be told something’s from the prosecutor that my client should have told me. For example, if my client is arrested for a drug case, and they failed to tell me that in Florida, 7 years ago they had a drug case. Somehow for some reason there’s nothing on their criminal history, that I have in front of me, that doesn’t indicate that they had a case in Florida, and then I go to have my meeting with the prosecutor. I don’t want to hear about the 7 year old drug case from the prosecutor. I’d much prefer going into my meetings with the district attorneys with all the information of my clients background, both positive and negative so that I can present it in a favorable or the most favorable possible light to the district attorney’s office.
A Lack of Communication with a Defense attorney Can Have Adverse Consequences
So I think one of the things that I found, when I have heard a complaint from people who have come to me after they’ve either hired another attorney, where they have used a free attorney. A lot of times they hear that there was a lack of communication with the previous attorney. I think the clients really want to tell me about who they are, they want me to know about their background, whether tis good or bad. Often times, when someone’s arrested, it’s a starting point for, them to turn their life around, and they, they sort of just want you to know about them. So that they can just get it all out, and that they can maybe, finish this case that I am dealing with them.
Availability for a Client is the Hallmark of a Competent Defense Attorney
A lot of times they want to tell the attorney’s, but I get complaints that, that attorneys don’t sit and give time to the client, and I always make it essential, when I am retained in a case to spend as much time with the client as they need. I’m always available 24 hours, people call me, I’m available to go to the police station when someone is arrested. I’m available for questions, and I am more than happy to meet client at, at a time and location that’s convenient to them. I don’t like people having to take time off from work, to meet with me. So I am very flexible with that.
The Adverse Effects Of A Drug Conviction on an Individual’s Life
Interviewer: What about people who may take conviction for granted? What’s the reality of it?
Lisa Pelosi: I get so many calls, from individuals who years earlier, had some silly case. And but they didn’t have, they didn’t retain good counsel and they advised them to just plead guilty and everything will be fine. Years later, people are adults with children of their own and families and their trying to get jobs and when they get fingerprinted or they do a background check, the prior arrests comes up. That one time seemed to be a good resolution for a case because people just want to get rid of it fast. It turns out to have a lifelong effect on individuals for when they are looking for jobs, or applying to schools. So, my best advice to anyone, whether it is a drug case, or not is to be super careful, what decisions you make because they will have consequences. If you make a good choice, then you won’t have to deal with the lifelong effect of having a criminal record, down the line.
