Having a Lawyer on Speed-Dial
Posted: Fri May 18, 2012 5:53 pm
I have been looking at the legal groups that provide legal support for the CHL and legal gun owners. I once had a program that was referred to as a "prepaid legal". When I needed it the most, it failed me miserably. I lost 'big time' with that group. However, the groups that offer legal protection for gun owners and CHL are a lot different.
First, you have to understand how Attorneys think. There is no right or wrong, there is only the side that pays them to act. They do not like to lose money any more than you do. I was actually told by the prepaid legal group that I could not afford to be innocent. Most Trial Attorneys in Texas cannot stand the Castle Doctrine because, "it does not allow for adequate debate in open court" (at your expense). More to the point, it puts a damper on the Attorney getting his/her fair share of the loot that the bad guy was trying to get when you stopped him.
Second, you need to understand how these CHL protection groups work. These groups realize that they will be loosing money to the fact that the Castle Doctrine protects you from liability if you are justified. By charging you a monthly (or annual dues), and calling it a retainer, they have the potential of making even more money. CHL's and Legal gun owners are very UNLIKELY to use their guns unless it is a "Last Resort Option". Therefore, they stand to gain by providing a membership that is a “Retainer” to those that probably don't need it (like an insurance company).
More importantly, they make money without ever having to take time to go before a judge where, in the absence of the Castle Doctrine, they would have to charge you a phenomenal retainer, tell you that you can't afford to be innocent, make you believe that a first offense will be negligible punishment if you plead "nolo contendere" (so that they don't have to do any more work that they already have), and then bug you 'ad nauseam' to get you to pay the rest of the bill.
Third, these groups are mostly CHL and Legal Gun owners themselves (i.e. they have a dog in the fight). This means that they are not just willing to fight for your rights, but their rights as well. To make it more efficient, the group that I am with sends me updates on legal cases, law changes, and other advise on a monthly basis. This helps me to know more about what I should or should not do. It makes me even less of a risk factor for the group by keeping me informed. After watching the Zimmerman/Martin case in Florida and comparing it to the information that I get from this group that I am with, I can clearly see and understand what is going wrong. I can actually follow where the mistakes were made (and continue to be made).
For reasons above, I go ahead and pay into the group. It really is not that much and I have been in front of a judge a few times already because of an x-wife. So I know the value of having someone in your corner before you need it. In fact, I believe that having them in my corner ‘pre-incident’ has helped me make decisions that have prevented an incident in the first place.
Tom
First, you have to understand how Attorneys think. There is no right or wrong, there is only the side that pays them to act. They do not like to lose money any more than you do. I was actually told by the prepaid legal group that I could not afford to be innocent. Most Trial Attorneys in Texas cannot stand the Castle Doctrine because, "it does not allow for adequate debate in open court" (at your expense). More to the point, it puts a damper on the Attorney getting his/her fair share of the loot that the bad guy was trying to get when you stopped him.
Second, you need to understand how these CHL protection groups work. These groups realize that they will be loosing money to the fact that the Castle Doctrine protects you from liability if you are justified. By charging you a monthly (or annual dues), and calling it a retainer, they have the potential of making even more money. CHL's and Legal gun owners are very UNLIKELY to use their guns unless it is a "Last Resort Option". Therefore, they stand to gain by providing a membership that is a “Retainer” to those that probably don't need it (like an insurance company).
More importantly, they make money without ever having to take time to go before a judge where, in the absence of the Castle Doctrine, they would have to charge you a phenomenal retainer, tell you that you can't afford to be innocent, make you believe that a first offense will be negligible punishment if you plead "nolo contendere" (so that they don't have to do any more work that they already have), and then bug you 'ad nauseam' to get you to pay the rest of the bill.
Third, these groups are mostly CHL and Legal Gun owners themselves (i.e. they have a dog in the fight). This means that they are not just willing to fight for your rights, but their rights as well. To make it more efficient, the group that I am with sends me updates on legal cases, law changes, and other advise on a monthly basis. This helps me to know more about what I should or should not do. It makes me even less of a risk factor for the group by keeping me informed. After watching the Zimmerman/Martin case in Florida and comparing it to the information that I get from this group that I am with, I can clearly see and understand what is going wrong. I can actually follow where the mistakes were made (and continue to be made).
For reasons above, I go ahead and pay into the group. It really is not that much and I have been in front of a judge a few times already because of an x-wife. So I know the value of having someone in your corner before you need it. In fact, I believe that having them in my corner ‘pre-incident’ has helped me make decisions that have prevented an incident in the first place.
Tom
