Posted by El on 1/18/04

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Am I out of touch with reality, or is the following
considered unethical behavior by an attorney?....

Case #1: He led the interrogation against her in a meeting
with the DEA, badgering her and reducing her to tears. He
has not represented his client in her best interests, & had
her plead guilty to things she didn't do. And all the
while telling her lies, like "All federal jurors are
retired military and they'll never find you innocent"; "You
have no option but to plead guilty"; "The plea states 4-40
years, but I can get you home detention".
He also said, after she signed the plea, [and he was high-
fiving with the DEA] "You know, they really didn't have
anything on you."!!

Is this typical behavior? Should it be tolerated? Can an
attorney be discharged from a federal case, 2 weeks prior
to sentencing? Should he be reported to the bar for this?
Can she fire him, get a federal public defender, and change
her plea? Will the judge look unfavorably on this action?

Case #2: Her husband's attorney walked out of the meeting
with 8 DEA agents, saying, "You don't need me here for
this." I though an attorney should assist you thru such
meetings, telling you what questions you should or
shouldn't answer. "You have to roll, everybody rolls. Why
won't you roll." Isn't it the client's decision or is it
easier for an attorney to have a client roll? This
attorney also told his client not to give up any
information he had on an unsolved murder case, because it
wouldn't do him any good. The client did disclose the
details of the murder [without his attorney's knowledge]and
as a result higher charges are not being sought by the
DEA.

Are these 2 attorneys engaging in unethical behavior?
Should they be replaced? Reported? Any advice would be
appreciated.

Re: discharging an attorney- hey Prairie Dawg, 2/18/04, by v.

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