Self defense lawyer recommendation

[revo]

I read here and elsewhere that it's good to have a lawyer on retainer, or at least their contact information in the event you'd ever (God forbid) need one after protecting yourself.

Can anyone recommend a lawyer in Adams County or surrounding areas? If not, how do I go about finding a lawyer that specializes in self defense issues?

Or, am I making too much of this? Is it one of those -- a-lawyer's-a-lawyer's-a-lawyer -- take your pick, they're all the same?

[T Durdin]

It's also a real good idea to belong to groups like the NRA or GOA http://gunowners.org. The GOA has along with your membership, a legal defense fund that pays for bail and toward lawyers if you get arrested. As long as it's not drug related. The NRA has low cost personal liabiltiy and other coverages available. For the $25 or 35 + cost of additional insurance a year it's a good deal.

[N3HCP]

Take this for what it's worth, your mileage may vary, but here's what I do. I travel around PA a lot, and as a result I can find myself in any jurisdiction from Erie to Philadelphia. In the event I need a self defense lawyer, I would like to have someone who is familiar with the local court system. (Yes, I know any lawyer licenced in PA can defend me anywhere in PA, but a local lawyer who knows the judges, the DA, and the local politics would make me feel a lot more confident. But I digress...) To that end I carry the card of my family attorney. He's not primarily a self defence lawyer, but if I need he can help me with the immediate stuff like arraignment, bail, etc. He can also put me in touch with a lawyer in the area where I find myself who is best suited to help.

I did look into having an arrangement with a specific self defence lawyer, but, for me, it didn't seem like the way to go. I also looked at the so-called pre-paid law firms. Every one I looked at would only defend you in a self defence shooting if it happens while you are at work.

If you spend most of your time in and around your home county, I would recommend you contact the local Bar Association. They can point you to the lawyers in your area who specialize in self defence law. Most will charge you their hourly rate for you to interview them, but it might be money well spent.

[Johannes_Paulsen]

The worst thing you can do, in my opinion, is hire yourself a "big city" lawyer if you're dealing with proceedings in a rural county. Not only will they not be impressed, you'll also have to pay travelling expenses for your counsel.

A good lawyer knows the law. A great lawyer knows the judge.

P.S. This is not to dissuade you from consulting an attorney about questions relating to the use of firearms in self-defense situations. That, I wholeheartedly recommend. I'm just saying that my personal bias is toward hiring an attorney familiar with the peculiarities of the judges/rules of the court you're dealing with.

[Penguini66]

A good lawyer knows the law. A great lawyer knows the judge.

That's worth repeating.

The worst thing you can do, in my opinion, is hire yourself a "big city" lawyer if you're dealing with proceedings in a rural county. Not only will they not be impressed, you'll also have to pay travelling expenses for your counsel.

I once hired a "big city" lawyer to fight a speeding ticket in a small town. After the LEO testified, my "big city" lawyer argued a point on a technicality. It was years ago but IIRC it was something to the effect that the LEO didn't state that the equipment had been calibrated. The judge said "that kind of stuff doesn't work around here" and he simply asked the LEO(by first name) if the equipment had been calibrated. He said yes. And the judge told me to pay up.

[TonyF]

Emanuel Kapelsohn

610.682.7147

[MarcS]

Emanuel Kapelsohn

610.682.7147

short and to the point. I think this is the kind of answer the poster was looking for.