Would you hire me if I said, “I’ll win your criminal case, guaranteed”?

I have potential new clients call my criminal defense firm all the time. Sometimes they ask me, in no uncertain terms, if I can guarantee that I will win their criminal case and get their criminal charges dropped. An actual call can go something like this, “Mr. Morris, I’ve read the great reviews that other clients have posted about you.  I want to hire you if you can guarantee that you will win my case, too.”

Why can’t a criminal defense lawyer give a client a guarantee that he(she) will win his (her) criminal case?

Ok, there are several reasons. First of all, it’s illegal. Did you know that rules from the Florida Bar on ethics strictly prohibit a lawyer from making a guarantee as to any outcome in any criminal case? There are no guarantees as to any outcome for any criminal case. Lawyers who give a guarantee as to a result could get sanctioned, suspended or worse, disbarred. However, some unscrupulous lawyers give people guarantees as to an end result all the time.

Besides being illegal, it’s just plain wrong. Having handled thousands of criminal cases in Florida, I counsel my clients about possible ways to beat their cases and probable outcomes. This comes from years of experience, as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney, not from a crystal ball that allows me to see into the future.

Everyone wants a guarantee. But when we are working with an officer, a prosecutor, a judge and a jury, there simply are no guarantees on the outcome.

Here is a list of guarantees that I can make:

• I guarantee to stay in touch with you as your case progresses. In fact, I strive to return all of my phone calls within one hour. When my day is packed with back-to-back court appearances, it may take longer than an hour, but I guarantee that I’ll call you back as soon as possible.

• As your criminal defense attorney, I guarantee to work extremely hard and to stay focused on my top priority; to win your case and get you the best possible outcome for your charges.

• As a father, I guarantee you that I will keep your child’s best interest foremost in my defense efforts.  I try to treat each client as if they were my own child and work as hard for them as I would for my own son and daughter.

• I can also guarantee that if you don’t trust the lawyer that you hire, you’re not going to be happy. Trust your instincts; it’s important that you get along from the beginning.

• I guarantee that any lawyer that gives you a guarantee as to an outcome in your criminal case is one that you should want to run, not walk, away from. Most likely, this same attorney will tell you anything you want to hear just to get your money. I’d rather not get your business than be dishonest with you.

If you’re looking for a lawyer that you can trust to work hard for you, guaranteed, I’m available 24/7, so call now, (850) 257-5680.

“Who is the best attorney in Panama City to handle my case?”

If you have found yourself or a friend in legal trouble, I am sure you have wondered or asked others, maybe even Siri, this very question.  Perhaps you’ve even wanted the answers to similar questions like:

• “Which lawyer gets the best results in Panama City, Florida?”
• “How do I know which attorney to hire for my criminal case?”
• “Who is the best attorney to call for a DUI in Panama City?”
• “Which attorney should I call to get me out of the Panama City jail?”
• “My son/daughter has been arrested, who is the best attorney to hire in Panama City, Florida?”

We suggest that you do your homework and check the results of the attorney(s) that you are considering.  In a time like this, you don’t want to leave the future of your defense to chance.  You want someone who will work hard to learn the details of your case and strongly defend you.  You want someone who will fight for your rights every step of the way.

Dana Morris is a Panama City criminal defense lawyer who others trust, too.

If you need to hire an attorney, a great place to start is by looking at the reviews that others have left.  A great review site I recommend is Yelp.  The Morris Law Firm has excellent reviews on Yelp.  I also suggest that you check out a firm’s Google+ page. The Morris Law Firm also has really great reviews on Google+ that can be found here. Lots of people share their experience  with lawyers on Facebook, too.  I encourage you to read our Facebook reviews to see what people are saying about the Morris Law Firm.

At the Morris Law Firm, Dana Morris goes the extra mile to make sure that he handles each of our client’s cases as if they were his own.  Don’t just take our word for it, check out what others have said about us.  Take the time to read the reviews and hire the attorney that you think will do the best job with your defense.

I’ll leave you with a great review that a mother recently left for us after we defended her daughter.  Reviews like this one and countless others mean the world to us. This truly is why we do what we do at the Morris Law Firm.  Results matter:

Give us a call to talk to our attorney, (850) 257-5680.  We are available 24 hours a day, so can now if you need us.

New laws are in place on Panama City Beach this Spring Break leading to more arrests. If  your student has been arrested, you likely need answers to legal questions that you have never even thought of.

As a parent of a college students you probably have questions you are used to asking. Questions like:

1. What is a typical workload of homework, papers, and tests in your classes?
2. How much is tuition?
3. How many credit hours will it take to graduate?
4. What are some of the reasons students leave or transfer?

The best questions to ask a criminal defense attorney after an arrest are much different than the questions you are accustomed to asking.

Criminal Defense Attorney Dana Morris, at the Morris Law Firm, can counsel you through the entire legal process, from arrest to resolution, answering your questions and easing your confusion and fears.

Panama City criminal defense lawyer, Dana Morris, will help you answer questions like:

1. What is pretrial diversion (PTD) and is my son/daughter eligible to receive that?
2. What is a first appearance and when will my son/daughter receive one?
3. Will you be present for first appearance if I hire you as our criminal defense attorney?
4. How much is bail and how can I find a bail bondsman?
5. When is an arraignment and what is it?
6. Where is the jail and how will my son/daughter get home from there?
7. How often will we have to travel back to Panama City for court dates or can this be avoided?
8. How can we get the record sealed or expunged?
9. What are your legal fees and do you charge by the hour or flat fee?
10. Do you take payments or do we have to pay all up front?

Dana Morris has extensive experience in criminal law charges and has helped many students and parents in situations just like yours. Keep in mind that the sooner you hire an attorney after an arrest, the better.  

Call our office 24 hours a day at (850) 257-5680.

Well, it’s official; Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow and Captain Anderson’s Restaurant opened tonight. What does this mean for Spring Break on Panama City Beach?  Winter is coming to an end and Spring Break is upon us.

Spring Break certainly brings a lot of fun to our 27 miles of sugar white sands located right here in the Florida Panhandle. Some fun things to do while on Spring Break on Panama City Beach should include:

• Parasailing
• Pontoon Boat Rental for a Dolphin Tour
• Jet Ski Rental
• Shopping at Pier Park
• Putt-Putt Golf
• Shipwreck Island Water Park
• Shell Island
• Spring Break Concert Series
• St. Andrew’s State Park

Sadly, Spring Break on Panama City Beach can also bring legal troubles.  Some of the most common Spring Break arrests on Panama City Beach include:

• Possession of Alcohol by a Minor; Underage Drinking
• Possession of a Controlled Substance
• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
• Public Intoxication
• Traffic Tickets

Talk to a Panama City Beach Attorney Who’s Helped Students Just Like You

If you or your child gets pulled over, involved in a wreck or into a situation where the police are involved, our best initial advice is to stay calm, provide the basic information required, but make sure you contact a Panama City Beach attorney immediately to guide you through the legal process from arraignment to expungement, and every step along the way.  With over 15 years  of practicing law, we’ve helped a lot of Spring Break students avoid the serious consequences of a criminal record and get on with their lives.