Lawyer, Wife Met Prison Terms for Scamming Disabled Veterans

Posted on Behalf of Attorney Ross Goodman for Criminal Defense

A 73-year-old longtime Houston lawyer, like his 72-year-old wife earlier this year, was handed a

46-month prison term for stealing from forty-nine disabled military veterans.

Joe Phillips on Wednesday was sentenced by Judge Lee H. Rosenthal to 46 months in federal prison. He was also ordered to repay $2.35 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which claims to have already compensated most of his victims, and to pay an additional $282,112 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for his income tax liability.

Phillips pleaded guilty in September to two of the 21 conspiracy to make false statements, misappropriation by a fiduciary and signing a false income tax return charges he faced and admitted that between 2003 and 2007, he had transferred over $1.36 million from client accounts to a joint checking account for himself and his wife Dorothy.

Tips on Hiring a Criminal Defense Lawyer

Posted on Behalf of Attorney Ross Goodman for Criminal Defense

Hiring a Criminal Defense Lawyer that you can depend on is not an easy task as hiring the wrong one will result in you losing your case or worse, jail time.

Here are tips on selecting a criminal defense lawyer:

1. Ask questions

Asking questions like; “how many cases similar to mine have you won?” or “how many cases have you engaged in?” is very helpful, especially if you want to hire a lawyer that has experience in a case that’s the same as yours.

Pedestrian Killed in DUI Hit-And-Run by Substance Abuse Counselor

Posted on Behalf of Attorney Ross Goodman for Criminal Defense

A man who opted to walk instead of drive home because he had three beers was hit and killed by a drunk driving alcohol and drug addiction counselor Saturday night in Torrance, California.

The 31-year-old Philip Moreno who spent his last day alive having beer and watching a college football game with friends at a bar called The Branch Office was struck head on by a Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible as he was crossing Torrance Boulevard. He was hit so hard he got knocked off his shoes and got lodged in the windshield of the car. He was carried writhing atop the hood and stuck in the windshield for two miles before other motorists managed to swarm the drunk driver at a traffic light at Crenshaw Boulevard and 182nd Street and snatch the car keys away from 51-year-old Sherri Lynn Wilkins. When responding rescue workers arrived and pulled Moreno off the windshield, he still had a pulse. However, he died on arrival at the hospital.

5 Traits of a Top Criminal Defense Lawyer

What separates the top lawyers from the rest? For some people, it’s how experienced they are in practicing their profession. But what about those who are still new to the profession?

Here are 5 traits of a top criminal defense attorney:

1. Workaholic

Good lawyers are always workaholics. The average law student studies an average of 90 hours a week and will be working through the weekend.

2. Aggressive

Lawyers who win cases are aggressive lawyers. There is no room in the court for pushovers especially in criminal defense.

Teen in DUI Manslaughter Case Sentenced to 10-Year Church Attendance

A district judge in Oklahoma sentenced a 17-year-old boy to 10 years of church attendance for a DUI/DWI manslaughter offense. Tyler Alred, the teen offender, was driving a Chevrolet pickup in the early morning hours of December 4, 2011 when he hit a tree, in the process killing his passenger and friend, 16-year old John Dum. A breathalyzer test showed that his blood alcohol content then was under the state’s legal alcohol limit but he had been drinking underage which is also illegal. He pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in August.

Arresting Officer in DUI Incident Arrested for Contempt of Court

Florida Highway Patrol trooper John Costa, 41, was ordered thrown in jail this week after his failure to appear at a DUI trial forced the judge to dismiss the defendant’s case.

What To Do If Charged With Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is a serious case; once the police are called in for a complaint, someone is going with them (usually to jail) for questioning.

Here are things you should do when charged with domestic violence: 

BE QUIET

You have the right to remain silent, so practice that right by being silent and only talking to the officer when asked with a question.

COOPERATE

When being taken to custody, cooperate with the officer and be polite. You will gain nothing by being rude and/or angering the officer.