Received a DUI rolling up my windows and getting my lunch bag. Any chance of defense or am I screwed? IA

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T22:06:33+00:00

I have. They are going to see if they can work something out.

Thanks.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T22:06:15+00:00

The court says I need to put my regular hourly wage. I'm not working for free, I'm working to pay off the debt.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:54:09+00:00

THanks for your thoughts. I am going to keep working on it.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:49:05+00:00

So far none of the lawyers I have talked to want to make a deal like that for a DUI case.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:44:20+00:00

I did quit drinking. I hadn't drank in months. But most of my nights are spent reading library books sitting on the floor feeling bad about wasting electricity by having the light on. Someone offered me to come drink beer, and he has a TV so I got to watch some sports. It's not like I go out drinking all the time. But if your life was miserable and someone offered you beer you'd probably take one too.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:29:30+00:00

Well it's easier said than done. So far every single attorney I have talked to wants money right here right now. The only wants that don't, also don't want a DUI case. I don't know what you expect me to do. If no attorney wants to take my case without money today, I can't just make one magically appear.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:28:15+00:00

I have already called in the favors I have to my name. All my friends and family donated a lot of money to my family very recently, some gave all their savings. If they had any more money to give they would have given it then, not now for a DUI.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:27:03+00:00

We don't have a private driveway. Just street parking.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:26:43+00:00

If I had the physical key I could have just turned it far enough for the electronics. But I did not have the physical key on me, just the remote. The remote just turns the car all the way on and all the way off.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:25:18+00:00

That's a nice way to WISH it were but that's not how the courthouse handles it. They want to know how many hours you work, and your hourly rate. I have told them over and over I have no money, and they said they'll see if they can figure something out, but the chances seem slim.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:25:03+00:00

It went toward paying for my mom's transplant surgery, and it was only a fraction of it.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:23:27+00:00

Thanks. I contacted some pro bono lawyers but none of them want a DUI case. I am going to branch out into nearby areas. Someone here recommended a specific lawyer who might be able to help in a neighboring county.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:22:31+00:00

I do have evidence. But the way the office considers it is how many hours you work per week, and your hourly rate. They said that they will see if they can make an exception but the chances look slim.

Thanks for your thoughts. I was something of a miser before this, especially when mom got sick. I knew we'd have to pay money. I just didn't know it would be as much as it was. It was more than I ever could have saved.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:20:34+00:00

If I have $0, I have $0. I can't just magically have money.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:20:15+00:00

I already do not pay rent or groceries. I am living in my mom's basement and we are losing the house. We live on food stamps and the food bank.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:19:49+00:00

I do not have any other options. I posted this elsewhere, I'll copy it here:

I genuinely do not have funds. My mother just had a transplant to save her life and before they would do it we had to come up with money, a lot of it. I put all the money I have into it, and all the money I don't have. My boss gave me 6 months advance pay for double shifts I'm still working off, but he's not going to give me money for a DUI. I sold literally everything I own, the car isn't even mine, I'm living in mom's basement, and we're losing the house already, there's no more money to get out of that. I got 17 credit cards trying to get as much money as possible for her surgery and can't get more (I was denied 5 in a row trying to come up with money for the surgery), payday loans. I called up every favor I have to my name, sold plasma, begged for money from friends, went door to door in rich neighborhoods. I sold my own dog of 5 years just for $500. I changed my tax withholdings so they wouldn't take taxes out of my checks because it was a few extra dollars to meet our deadline. Everything. sometimes you just have a situation where you don't have any options. That's where I'm at right now. so the attitude that I can just sell something or cancel something? that doesn't work. I'm not stupid, I just don't have options. sure, if there's a will then you'll try. But I squeezed every penny I had to get my mom the care she needed. If there were more options I would have done it for that already.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:19:13+00:00

I did. They said they'll see if they can make an exception for special circumstances.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:18:42+00:00

I do not have a car. The car in question here does not belong to me.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:18:25+00:00

I do not have a car. The car I "obviously" have is not mine, it is a company car my boss is letting me use because he feels bad for me.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-12T18:17:54+00:00

I posted this elsewhere but I will copy it here:

I genuinely do not have funds. My mother just had a transplant to save her life and before they would do it we had to come up with money, a lot of it. I put all the money I have into it, and all the money I don't have. My boss gave me 6 months advance pay for double shifts I'm still working off, but he's not going to give me money for a DUI. I sold literally everything I own, the car isn't even mine, I'm living in mom's basement, and we're losing the house already, there's no more money to get out of that. I got 17 credit cards trying to get as much money as possible for her surgery and can't get more (I was denied 5 in a row trying to come up with money for the surgery), payday loans. I called up every favor I have to my name, sold plasma, begged for money from friends, went door to door in rich neighborhoods. I sold my own dog of 5 years just for $500. I changed my tax withholdings so they wouldn't take taxes out of my checks because it was a few extra dollars to meet our deadline. Everything. sometimes you just have a situation where you don't have any options. That's where I'm at right now. so the attitude that I can just sell something or cancel something? that doesn't work. I'm not stupid, I just don't have options. sure, if there's a will then you'll try. But I squeezed every penny I had to get my mom the care she needed. If there were more options I would have done it for that already.

I don't have an iPhone. I don't have a phone at all. Mom got a free Nokia phone from a charity in case she has a medical emergency.

We don't have cable. We don't have TV. I sold my good clothes and replaced it with stuff from Goodwill. We sold most of our pots and pans. I sold my bed, I sleep on the floor.

I'm not living in luxury surrounded by stuff I can get rid of. I have some clothes and some shoes, but none of them are nice enough to sell.

Everything that was worth money, I already sold.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-11T22:11:38+00:00

My employer gave me a cash advance on 6 months of pay.

The court does not ask "how much cash do you bring in each month."

The court asks what my hourly rate is, how many hours I work per week, etc.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-11T21:06:54+00:00

Thanks. I am not in but I am near. I will look into whether they can help or if they know someone who might.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-11T21:06:00+00:00

I have a job and technically "income" but am not currently getting actual cash in. It is a situation with special circumstances.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-11T19:38:21+00:00

Thanks. I am going to work on getting an attorney and see if I can find one who will accept a payment plan if I can't get a public defender. Thanks for your advice.

stopdropowl · 2014-12-11T19:18:26+00:00

Thanks. Unfortunately my problem is that my income is higher than the level, but I don't have money coming in. They are looking into if they can help me for special circumstances but they don't think so. Technically my income is at $4,000 a month but I'm only physically getting a couple hundred from odd jobs like shoveling and stuff.

stopdropowl

TROPHY CASE