LaHood Norton Law Group is an experienced team of former prosecutors now defending the accused to protect their innocence. No matter how big or small the case may be, this team can help.
Esteban: As far as cases, how does this work and what should people do when it comes to being on the other side of the law?
Nico: If anybody is arrested or accused of a crime we always advise not to speak on your own behalf, do not be your own litigator. Everybody thinks they can do a better job for themselves, but they could misspeak or say something that maybe they shouldn’t speak, so seek legal advice from an attorney. For us, we handle any type of case where someone can be accused of a crime where they can actually face jail time. We handle any type of arrest from a misdemeanor state case to a felony state case, and we handle federal cases as well. Any case that you can be arrested for, we handle it.
Esteban: If there is something you can’t handle, are you okay with saying ‘this isn’t our thing’?
Nico: Well you know, we have to make sure it’s the right fit. Anything when it comes to criminal law, federal law or state, we can handle. We have a very experienced group, there are four lawyers in our firm, and we have all been former high-level prosecutors, so we can handle pretty much anything. We do have colleagues we work with on civil cases, personal injury, family, and immigration cases.
Esteban: How important is it to hire the right lawyer?
Nico: It’s critical. You need a lawyer that has character and competence. You want someone that knows what they’re doing, and that also has the character to be honest with you, and to make sure they are transparent about the representation. Lastly, you need a lawyer who is fearless. We have the experience in our firm, with me being the former district attorney; to Jay Norton being the former felony chief section; to Jason Goss, he was one of the court chiefs; and Patrick Ballantyne was in the appellate section, and he ran the Conviction Integrity Unit. Two of our lawyers are board-certified in criminal law. So together, collectively, there’s not much we can’t handle. We also have the staff and resources to make sure we aren’t outworked by the government and that’s important as well.
Esteban: Another thing that’s very important is that when you consult with people, this is free when they first walk in.
Nico: Absolutely. If somebody is arrested and they’re in a situation and they have a question, they can always come in and talk to us for free. Then once we realize that we are the right fit for them and they realize that also and that we want to engage further, then we will have a very honest conversation about law fees, about representation fees, expert fees, or whatever it might be. So when someone leaves they’re not confused and they know what to expect.
Esteban: Alright well let me give everybody the information that they need. If you ever do need an attorney, this is where you need to go- Lahoodnorton.com for more information. Or give them a call at (210) 797-7700. The Docket Law Magazine is a new online publication in San Antonio, Thedocketlaw.com is where you need to go.