ArizonaShooting.com

We all know what to do after a defensive shooting; It's taught the same way from magazines to books to CCW classes. Somewhere you'll find "call (ask for) your lawyer" in the instruction.

Well, I don't "have" a lawyer. I 've never needed to talk to one in a professional capacity, nor do I know how to go about finding a "good" one.

There's a good thread on GlockTalk where a practicing criminal attorney gives some advice. But...his method takes time, especially for someone who has just moved here. I'm carrying now and what if, God forbid, something happens tomorrow. At that point I needed to know a lawyer yesterday!

Are there firms that tend to handle self defense cases more often? There was one in CA that did and did it well. That's the one I would have call back then.

Simply put, I want to know who I am going to call before I need to call them. I don't want to have one randomly picked for me by the court system or pulled out of the phone book while my wife is hysterical.

What do you plan on doing?

**edited to fix bad grammar **

Good idea!

As you pointed out, this is an often visited subject. I've always had it covered, but you've caused me to think about it and realize that the situation has changed: my attorney is almost completely retired now!

I'll be reading that thread and tuning/rebuilding my plan.

I subscribe to and use Prepaid Legal Services . A 33 year old publicly traded company which offers a monthly membership. Prepaid Legal Services is to attorney's what HMO's are to health insurance. I think of it as legal insurance.

Some of the items the monthly membership includes are 24/7 telephone access to attorneys for emergencies ( like shootings ) with unlimited telephone consultation for personal and business questions during normal office hours, legal document review (up to 10 pages ) plus 1 business doc per year, and will preparation and updates ( trust prep is discounted 25% ). There is more but these are the ones that I routinely use.

My wife and I are Independent Associates now and can give you quick answers to your questions and sign you up. You can visit our website http://www.RightsGuardian.com for information and to sign up online or give us a call at 623-780-7532.

I also have signed up for the prepaid IDENTITY THEFT SHIELD service that monitors and corrects any problems should our identity be stolen.

My brother in law is a believer now.
He was arrested at 10 PM one evening on a felony warrant and booked into jail. Yup, his ID was used by a felon. ID Shield helped to clear it right up. Arizona is #1 in the nation for ID theft.

Check it out, it is worth your effort and money.

Kim

http://www.gunlaws.com/faq.htm#trouble




I'm in trouble, how do I find a gun-rights lawyer?

I'll give you a few resources I know of (listed below), but the sad truth is this -- most people who ask me this question have no money. Or certainly not enough to play in the big leagues of courts and attorneys. After an arrest, people who need this question answered are frequently shunted off to the public defender's office, a place where the really good lawyers generally do not go to practice law.

Let me blunt here for a minute. If you're not able to put up decent money, you're simply not a player, and you are likely to be trampled by the system, a feeling you might already be familiar with. Most fine lawyers recognize their worth, and count fees starting at ten or twenty grand. For the few top players that do practice criminal-defense law, they'll need a lien on your home (win or lose they still get paid, so you not only go to jail, you lose your house).

Public defenders are frequently green, learning the ropes, getting experience for bigger and better things, working for modest government salaries. Underpaid and overworked, they often have case loads so large they have little choice but to plead cases out (have you confess regardless of circumstance, and plead for an easy sentence), because they cannot possibly go to trial and commit all the time that takes.

To prevail over the system costs you a lot. Most of us don't have that kind of money. Corporations and governments have it, a lucky few individuals do, but that's it these days. The notion of a "fair trial" has been destroyed by the costs attached by power brokers (and plenty of other factors). You've probably noticed this too, if you've found your way to my door with a troubling legal issue on your front burner.

But despite the odds, many people do persevere, using sweat equity, diligence, and determination that doesn't recognize failure. Get to know everyone you meet at the law library nearest you.

You can try the major gun rights groups, but keep this in mind -- every bozo who ever did something wrong with a gun tries to get them to handle their case for free, and so they're understandably reluctant to just jump in. They also have absolutely no way to handle everyone who rings their bell. That said, they do take cases when they are convinced that 1-They have a reasonable chance of winning, 2-The cause is one they are passionate about, not just a routine criminal defense, 3-You are a decent upstanding respectable individual with no excess hidden baggage that will make them look bad later or hurt them in court, 4-They'll probably get good press coverage from the case, 5-They can set valuable precedent for the future or stop some egregious abuse the authorities have been perpetrating, and 6-You appear to be innocent and unjustly charged. Kinda makes sense, don't it? Measure your case by those guidelines and see where you stand.

TIP: Before you need it, call and hire a firearms-savvy lawyer, for an hour, and say, "It's just to pick your brains about gun laws." They love it, you pay fairly, and you get every question you have answered, at least to some degree (lawyers think they know it all, but in contrast they never agree, so you absolutely must rely on your own judgment). You also get to judge how good the person is, before you ever need a lawyer for anything. Looking for a lawyer when you need one bad is the wrong time to go shopping. Many will take brief phone calls after such a "head" session, for free, because now they know you. You can even invite them out shooting, or to some event of mutual interest, to develop a relationship. And then you can fairly say you "have" a lawyer.



Contacts for Second Amendment attorneys and related resources:

Second Amendment Attorneys and Foundations (excellent)

Pro-gun-rights attorneys, by state (includes descriptions)

Lawyers available on call:

American Self-Defense Institute 800-700-2585

Pre-Paid Legal Services 800-654-7757

Lawyers can often be found through your local gun club. Local gun clubs can be found by phone through shooting ranges, retail stores, trainers, self-defense schools and civil rights organizations. State gun clubs are listed in our National Directory. Joining up sometimes helps you when you need resources.They yellow pages have so many lawyers listed it's a bewildering choice. A copyright, personal injury or real estate lawyer is not what you need -- criminal defense and Second Amendment attorneys are their own rare breed.

In the Phoenix metro area (my home turf):

The following attorneys in Arizona have indicated to me that they are interested in taking firearms related cases. I am in no way endorsing any of them, just passing on their names to you. I also listed the names of several private investigators, which might be useful on your defense team. Please let me know what sort of results you get, and good luck.

Michael R. Bredimus
Law Office of Michael R. Bredimus, P.C.
7551 South Willow Drive, Suite 102
Tempe, Arizona 85283-5032
480-361-7604
mbredimus@bredimuslawaz.com
bredimuslawaz.com

Brian Borrelli
Borrelli Law Office
480-833-6100 Work
480-593-6537 24-hr.
borrellilawoffice.com

Nicholas Hentoff
602-254-0800
1-877-FIREARM
gundefense.com
innocenceproven.com
Phoenix

Marc Victor
Victor and Hall
480-755-7110
victorandhall.com
Tempe

Tom Baker
Baker and Baker
602-279-1644
Phoenix

Joy Leslie Little
Little and Little, PC
520-795-7300
Tucson

Bruce Blumberg
602-264-1900
Phoenix

Robert J. Zohlmann
Zohlmann Arivaca Law
“In defense of the accusedâ€￾
520-398-2291
Arivaca

Kevin O’Grady PLLC
480-423-0047
Mesa

+1 I B on your assessment of the current state of legal affairs, if you do not have one before you need one, it may be too late. You are also very correct that at $200+/hr for a good one, most people can’t afford one and the public defender’s office does not instill a lot of confidence.

It is exactly these points that founded Pre-Paid Legal. Their sole mission is to provide cost effective equal access to the legal system. They use top rated attorneys in our home state so you have an attorney that is familiar with Arizona laws. They use some of the best law firms in the state since they have over 1.6 million subscribers nationwide. It’s the power of numbers.

You suggested that you call an attorney and pick his brain. That’s a great idea, but what if you have other questions later, on other subjects? How many times are you going to be able to pick his brain for free? Pre-Paid allows you to call an attorney every day and ask questions and not just on gun issues, but family issues, divorce, bankruptcy or even just because you were screwed by a company and want to know your rights. Just for the ability to call a lawyer and get real answers it’s worth the $26/mo membership. Besides if you do need an attorney, just because you called and picked a guys brain, does not mean that he is going to get out of bed at 2:00 am to help you when you need it, so you are back to the original point of if you do not have an attorney before you need one, it is too late.

I did notice that you listed Pre-Paid Legal on your referral list, so you recognize the value of the service; my only addition would be to work with someone local rather than calling the 800 number into the corporate office. You will be referred to someone and taken care of but wouldn’t it be better to have local agent, who is aware of local issues and can provide information in real time without having to deal with things like time zones?

“the notion of a "fair trial" has been destroyed by the costs attachedâ€￾ I couldn’t agree more which is why I subscribe to the Pre-Paid Legal Services system.

I invite you and anyone else interested to check out the http://wwww.RightsGuardian.com website and in particular view the video to get more detailed information about this and the Identity Theft service.

I hope I never have to make a call at 2:00 AM but if I do I'd like all the help I can get.

Thanks
Kim

I know Marc Victor personally and can vouch that he is a true barracudda, in the most complimentary meaning of the term. He's a former Marine and Desert Storm vet. However you'll never catch him speaking kindly of George Bush or the Republicans, so if you can't wrap your mind around that, you'll get along better with someone else. Nevertheless, when it is the gov't that is after you, it would be neat if you had an attorney who actually ENJOYS sticking it to them. That's Marc.

For what it may be worth to you - I carry Tim Forshey's (see I_B's post listed above) business card in my wallet ... just in case. I've shot with Tim in IDPA "practice" matches in the past, and took a tactical carbine course where he was in attendance as a student. He has taught (still teaches?) AZ CCW classes in the Phoenix area. Tim is "one of us" - an avid shooter - in addition to being a good law practitioner. Call his office and have them send you a couple of his business cards - it makes no sense to be unprepared and scrambling for a lawyer's tel. no. when you most need it and your mind is elsewhere after "putting down" a bad guy or two. I'm sure Tim could even recommend an alternative lawyer if his caseload was too much (though I seriously doubt he would decline to lend his services to someone involved in a righteous shoot).

I will recommend too the American Self defense Institue. I pass that in every class I teach. I have been a member before and locally (touch wood) have not need them but they are as necessary as AAA. Well spend $50.00 a year ($100.00 if you go with AAA too!, I can change my own batteries so I don't!)

The link is:

http://www.americanselfdefense.com/

This org was started with Attorney Michael Anthony which as all of you know is in the CCW board. I do not know what his involvement in it is now but I know he was involved in their early stages...

and I do not work for them so I do not get anything!

cheers all and Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Ed Ortiz
EZ Tactics L.L.C.

As an FYI, Michael Bredimus is no longer a private attorney.

Also consider engaging a good local private investigator if the unthinkable happens. Forensics investigation post shooting can be guite slipshod. It depends how professional and thorough the LEO's are.

I welcome any suggestions for good PI's.


shannon

Tim just taught my CCW class at Scottsdale Gun Club.....what a great guy. I too carry his card now.

I'm not sure that Forshey is still practicing law. I removed his info from the above post.

He has had some troubles with the Bar.



http://www.supreme.state.az.us/dc/2006_scanned/DC_Reports/Forshey_DC_rpt.pdf

http://www.supreme.state.az.us/dc/2006_scanned/HO_Reports/Forshey_HO_rpt1.pdf

He still practices. It's just a probation, and these things happen all the time. Especially with lawyers, given the nature of their work. Everyone has a bone to pick with everyone else.

UPDATE:

Marc J. Victor, P.C. Attorney at Law
3920 South Alma School Road, Suite 5
Chandler, Arizona 85248
Phone: (480) 755-7110
Fax: (480) 755-8286

Website: http://www.attorneyforfreedom.com
Email: marc@attorneyforfreedom.com

False.