pam garcia Big Disappointment. We were hoping to be reimbursed for costs for a new survey to correct survey monuments moved into our property by our neighbors, a wrongful arrest based on false allegations by our neighbors (which attorney did get dismissed), harassment, and additional outrageous false allegations by these un-neighborly neighbors, as well as for our crazy story to be told to a judge... We would have done better going to small claims court with no attorney. Attorney did not have a final meeting with us before our trial to review exactly what evidence and arguments he would present. Insufficient evidence was intoduced. Attorney claimed that evidence must be limited due to the time it takes to introduce each piece. You cant prove something without adequate evidence. Even in court, when I tried to say more, attorney stopped me. Attorney allowed the numerous false statements (perjury) by defendants during trial, without giving us chance to challenge their lies. After trial, attorney submitted a written "memo of facts and law" aka final arguments, without providing me time to review. 56% of the statements in this memo were patently false, had mixed-up dates, missing information, and overall argued nothing of substance. It made us sound like idiots. Despite my request for a court reporter, one was not provided... So what is claimed to have been said in court is based on "notes". We were not provided a copy of the Order in time to request a new trial based on all of the defendants provably false statements (and our inadequate representation). Our only recourse was a rehearing request, in which only the evidence presented at the first trial can be used, unless brand new evidence is unearthed. Although some of the evidence that was misconstrued by the court was plainly contradicted in the second set of survey drawings, it was moot because our attorney dismissed the trespass count because the defendants agreed the second survey corrected the moved markers. Rehearing was denied. I cannot blame the judge; he has to follow the rules. Its ok. This experience was an eye-opener for me on how our justice system works and how far off from the truth a final outcome of a trial can be. We just wanted the truth to come out in court. Our justice system needs a better method of taking in all relevant evidence before trial and evalating truthfulness of witness statements. Punishing those who lie to police and courts, should be a requirement in our justice system. Unfortunately our system of justice puts highest priorities on rules, precedents, and bureaucratic procedures and rarely, if ever, punishes those who lie. False testimony and lying to police is one of the major contributing factors to wrongful convictions. The fact that 2.5% of those on death row since the 70s have been exonerated (found factually innocent) is not a good rate of finding truth. I give 2 stars since our arrest was dismissed, although maybe that could have happened sooner if the warrant was challenged, as every accusation in it was rediculously false, even fabricated, and exculpatory evidence was not presented to judge.
2 /5
