Disclaimer: This article is in response to questions frequently asked of Mr. Cobb and is an unedited dictation transcript. Just like talk to text on your smartphone, there may be misspelled words or sentence fragments.
In the local area, payments for legal defense whether it is criminal, or DUI defense can be as low as $150 a month. Of course, it is going to depend on what type of case someone has because there is a big difference between a first offense DUI and a third offense domestic violence charged as a felony. The two are going to be very different, and so is the payment. However, payments are very low; the amounts that can be financed are high. They can be financed up to $40,000, which is much higher than ninety-nine percent of all criminal defense legal cases. People often want to know if I find a DUI, or criminal lawyer in Okaloosa County, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Shalimar, and all these different places, how long do I have to pay it off, and the answer is five years.
Under the old model of how criminal defense law firms took payments, people would have to put half of the fee down and pay the balance in ninety days. This could lead to payments that people simply could not afford. With this new method that is not based on a credit score, and has flexible credit options available, people have the option to make low payments with interest rates that start around four percent. If you think about it, this beats a lot of credit cards. The reason for this is that the companies who are doing this financing are very familiar with criminal, and defense lawyers. They also know my reputation and skill level, which makes a huge difference. I am certified as a specialist in criminal trial law, and no other lawyer in Okaloosa County is. The only other lawyer who is certified as a specialist is Judge Rimmer in Santa Rosa County.
I do not think he is going to be taking any criminal defense cases any time soon. If you look over at Walton County, no one is certified as a specialist in criminal trial law. People can have the best criminal or DUI defense representation possible in the local areas. They can get a loan that they would not be able to get through traditional financing methods with interest rates, and best of all, the decision takes simply a matter of seconds. It literally takes just seconds. We are paid almost immediately, and we are able to start the case right away. When someone is charged with a DUI, they have only ten days to do something about their license suspension.
We are able to jump in before those ten days expires, make a major impact on whether or not someone can get a hardship license, and strategize with the client in order to determine what is best for the client. Everybody with a DUI case does not automatically qualify for the business purposes hardship license. However, everybody who lets that ten-day period lapse, they are automatically going to lose their license. Therefore, if someone is trying to scrounge up money from friends, family and relatives in order to make a down payment, or pay a full fee upfront, time is running out, and their legal position is weakened by the fact that they do not have a lawyer to represent them. That is the power of this financing program. Large amounts are available if needed, but most people do not need it.
Very good financing rates are available. Payment terms are anywhere from a year to five. It is a good deal for the consumer, and it presents the criminal defense law firm from having a situation where they look like a passed out and burned out public defender’s office. You can go to the courthouse in Fort Walton Beach, and watch these overworked, underpaid assistant public defenders. Over time, you see the faces changed constantly, because of the caseload. I was an assistant public defender for seven years, learned a great deal, and it helped me become a certified specialist eight years later in 2002. However, when I left, the caseload was nothing near what it is today.
The government hat funds both the prosecution and the defense are absolutely biased when it comes to funding the office of the public defender. By law, the elected public defender receives less of a salary than the elected prosecutor in each of the twenty circuits does across the state of Florida. When someone has a public defender, they are really at a disadvantage. However, with this particular program, they can get a good deal with the best possible criminal, or DUI defense. They can receive a fee that is affordable across the board, and it is as low as $150 or $250 a month. It is a good deal.
Disclaimer: This article is in response to questions frequently asked of Mr. Cobb and is an unedited dictation transcript. Just like talk to text on your smartphone, there may be misspelled words or sentence fragments.
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