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Can my attorney being charged with contempt of court in another case negatively impact my case?
Anonymous5 views4 answers
My attorney is being charged with contempt of court in another case from over a year ago. He allegedly doctored some emails and a document with the judges signature on it. He allegedly led a client to believe charges were going to be reduced or changed when no such agreement had been made with the D.A. or the judge. I am in the middle of working out a deferred prosecution agreement. Could his case negatively impact my case?
Indirectly, yes. It shouldn't impact the state's offer (assuming that is the state's offer? Given what you report, is be concerned), but if what you claim is true, there's a strong possibility your lawyer may not be a lawyer for much longer. You may want to find a new attorney and remove yourself from his legal troubles, so you can focus on resolving your own with more confidence.
Matthew Oberlin WilliamsCriminal Defense AttorneyCleveland, OH ·
It really shoudn't. Your lawyer many not be a lawyer much longer. If his or her license is suspended or he or she is disbarred, he or she will not be able to continue to represent you. So that could be a problem, but I doubt the Prosecutor will take a harder line with your case due to your lawyer's troubles.
Technically, this is not supposed to affect your case at all. Practically, however, it may have an impact. If the facts that you have stated are true, the prosecutors, judges and your attorney's clients should all be very skeptical of the things coming out of your attorney's mouth. This is never a good situation. I would strongly advise you to look at the situation carefully and weigh all options. You may decide that going forward with your current attorney would be a mistake. You always have a right to ask to get a different attorney. If that is what you want, then I would write a letter to the judge that simply states that you would like a different attorney. If your attorney was appointed by the judge or the State Public Defender and you have not changed attorneys several times already or are making the request on the eve of a jury trial, then you should be allowed to get someone else. If you hired this attorney, then you can hire someone else. Good luck.
