To: Lee Lichterman III who wrote (44400 ) 11/22/2021 10:32:48 PM From: ajtj99 3 RecommendationsRecommended By Lou Weed rcksinc roto
Respond to of 96655 Lee, let me give you an example of how having the means to hire a good lawyer can make or break a case. AJ was working in a retail store about 4-years ago. Employees got discounts for their purchases. Well, some kids who had access to a flaw in the system used AJ's employee number to get almost $7,000 worth of fraudulent discounts on purchases. AJ had no idea this was going on. However, when they pulled the records, they had AJ's employee number all over them. The kids who stole his identity denied they had done so. They said AJ did it. One of the kids was a manager, and the other was a sibling of the manager. Anyway, we had a "nice" cop call A.J. and ask him to have a cup of coffee to "talk" with him. The cop was trying to set him up to admit to being a ring-leader of this scam. Anyway, when I found out about the meet, I told AJ to cancel it and come right home. I had to explain to AJ that cops sometimes lie to get what they want. I've seen it in court in traffic ticket cases. Eventually, the cop called AJ, and I spoke with him. I told him we wanted to cooperate in any way we could. He was trying to get AJ to confess to a false charge the whole time. Long story short, I hired an attorney. After what I thought was a misunderstanding misdemeanor turned out to be possible felony charges, I was floored. I told the attorney in no uncertain terms that we were not pleading to anything but full exoneration. He was also shocked at the felony charges. We both were. The kids who stole the merch would not yield. I offered to help the cop get them. I offered to help the kids who framed my son. No takers. I even offered to reimburse the retail chain the cost of the goods for what they lost. They would not do it. In the end, I told the attorney to get my kid off at any cost. AJ got 40-hours of community service, 1-year probationary period, and his record was wiped clean because he had no priors. It's like it never happened. AJ also had to pay the $7k restitution on the goods stolen in his name. He did it. Those other kids got off scott free while stealing all of that money. Those kids had better hope I never meet them in this life or the next. That's how money can bend a system of injustice. Most don't have that option. AJ was staring down 1-year in prison for something he had no part in. A public defender would have had him cop a plea, and he'd have been in the joint for a year, his life ruined. Oh, the retailer filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy about 6-months later. I guess they had more problems.