Public Defense

This Seattle DUI lawyer is a douchebag

By Gideon

So normally I don’t write posts like this, because I don’t give flyin’ rat’s ass. But lately, I’ve seen a string of hits in my Google Alert for “public defender” (yes, that is one way I keep up with relevant news) from some “let me help you on the internet by giving out free advice” sites.

The most recent one popped into my RSS reader this evening and it followed the same tenor of the others: Don’t opt for a public defender because they’re overworked, don’t have resources, etc. In other words, the same BS that smarmy “defense lawyers” use to scare clients into giving them money. Here, take a look if you want, but I’m reproducing the pertinent section below:

Trying to navigate this entire process without a Seattle DUI attorney is like going down the Amazon River with no life preserver.

After you are released from jail, you?re given the option of getting private counsel or getting a public defender. It?s completely advisable to not select a public defender. Here?s why. A public defender will not necessarily be the best nor have the resources to complete a fair and impartial trial. On top of that, a public defender usually is not going to have enough time to dedicate solely to your case and this could cause troubles such as missed details or deadlines when it comes to protecting you. So selecting private counsel in the Seattle area is recommended.

No one will have your interests at heart except maybe your close friends and family and an experience Seattle DUI attorney.

Once you’re done laughing, let me know.

Okay, done?

So, this is not the first time I’ve written about postings like these. But I’m in a particularly vitriolic mood tonight, so I decided to click some links to find out where this posting comes from.

Toward the end of that “article” is the money shot: links to a seattle dui attorney. Particularly this one. [Don't click on it yet.]

The article, however is not written by the Seattle DUI attorney. It’s written by some dude named Justin Steely. But when you click on his name, it takes you to the page of someone named “Austin Richeit”. So what’s a man like me to do? Google, obviously. The name looks like a fake. What of his doppelganger Justin Steely? Also a pseudonym of dubious repute.

So now, who or what is this Seattle DUI firm? Go ahead, click on the link now. Come back when you can’t read a damn thing. Best I can tell it’s for some firm named Lovik & Juhl. The rest – well, your guess is as good as mine, since it doesn’t render in Firefox or Chrome. It will be a cold day in hell before I launch Internet Explorer on my computer, so if you’re brave enough, go ahead and tell me if it works in that browser.

So either Lovik or Juhl created these pseudonyms to drive traffic to their site (and decided to unnecessarily trash public defenders along the way) or they hired someone to do the same.

The problem is that sites like these come up on the first page of a Google search for something like “should I hire a private lawyer or keep my public defender” (and trust me, I get a lot of hits with similar search terms).

Another site that comes up? New lawyer darling Avvo.

So yeah. Douchebag.

Also, if you liked this post, please bookmark it for later use.

All your base are also belong to me.

Full post as published by A Public Defender on December 12, 2009 (boomark / email).