Do You Need Legal Research & Guidance?
There are over 80 million lawsuits filed in the United States every year. 2 ½ million people are behind bars. Millions more are on parole, probation, have a felony conviction they want expunged, or have some other type of legal problem they want answers to.
80% of the people in the United States cannot afford a lawyer. Legal advice is expensive. Having a lawyer represent you in court, even more so.
In a criminal case, public defenders are free. Or are they? Can one of them cost you years of your life?
Here is a typical example:
- Two girls went into a department store. One of them stole some clothing. When chased, they both ran. The public defender told the girl who was merely there when her friend stole something that she needed to take an 8 year “plea bargain” for second-degree robbery.
Quite often all you need is for someone to look something up for you. The law on second-degree robbery in Missouri is quite clear.
Hughes was charged with second-degree robbery in violation of Section 569.030.1, which states that "[a] person commits the crime of robbery in the second degree when he forcibly steals property." The phrase, "forcibly steals," is further defined by Section 569.010(1), which states, in pertinent part, as follows: "Forcibly steals", a person "forcibly steals", and thereby commits robbery, when, in the course of stealing, as defined in section 570.030, RSMo, he uses or threatens the immediate use of physical force upon another person for the purpose of:
(a) Preventing or overcoming resistance to the taking of the property or to the retention thereof immediately after the taking ....
Stealing occurs when a person "appropriates property or services of another with the purpose to deprive him or her thereof, either without his or her consent or by means of deceit or coercion." Section 570.030.1 RSMo Cum. Supp. (2003). Thus, "[t]he crime of second degree robbery is composed of two elements: stealing and the use of actual or threatened force." Maclin v. State, 184 S.W.3d 103, 109 (Mo. App. 2006); Section 569.030; Section 569.010(1).
Hughes v. State, 204 S.W.3d 376 (Mo.App. S.D. 2006)
Neither girl threatened anyone. i.e., their charge should have been simple shoplifting, a misdemeanor.
These girls didn’t need legal advice. They only needed someone to tell them what the law was, a simple research project that took a short period of time. In this case the prosecutor “overcharged” the defendants in order to terrorize them into taking a “plea bargain.” The public defender either did not know the law or did not care.
If you want insight into your case, we can teach you. Providing you with information about your legal right falls under the First Amendment, freedom of speech. We will do that.
As was pointed out in the case, In re Primus (1978), 436 U.S. 412, 432, 56 L.Ed.2d 417, 434, 98 S.Ct. 1893, 1904-05:
"The First and Fourteenth Amendments require a measure of protection for `advocating lawful means of vindicating legal rights,' Button, 371 U.S. at 437, including `advis[ing] another that his legal rights have been infringed and refer[ring] him to a particular attorney or group of attorneys * * * for assistance,' id., at 434."
Do you need research & guidance for your legal issue? We have 40 years of experience in federal & state law, with both civil & criminal law.
To schedule research and a 45 minute phone call with Mike to discuss your needs, the following is needed.
- Submit payment of $150 on the PayPal button below.
- Type up a summary of your legal issue, preferably in 100 words or less.
- If you have specific questions, list up to five (5) pertinent questions you wish to discuss during the phone call.
- Go to our CONTACT US page and send us a message letting us know you have the information typed and ready to send us.
- We will call you within 24 hours to schedule your phone call with Mike.
