In October of 2013, I was pulled over by the OC Sheriff's Department while I was coming home to Newport Beach on the 55 freeway. Prior to pulling over to the side of the freeway, I did not think my encounter would lead to an arrest because I only had a couple of drinks and was driving safely on a clear freeway--I was very mistaken. The officers immediately presumed I was drinking earlier and within minutes I was instructed to get out of my vehicle and perform a sobriety test. After the sobriety test and a couple additional questions from the officers, I found myself blowing into a breathalyzer and realizing I was in trouble when my BAC was read at .08. Within 20 minutes of being pulled over, I was sitting handcuffed in the back of a police vehicle for the first time in my life wondering how I could be so foolish.
After spending a night in jail, I came to the realization that I had no driver's license, my vehicle was in police custody, and I missed a day at work without calling in. I had no idea the repercussions for my actions so I searched online for more information which I do no recommend because any rubbish can be published online and the circumstances of each person's case differ therefore you can never find concrete advise. I called other friends who have had a DUI and the consensus within my circle was to consult the best attorney I could find.
I was a bit overwhelmed with the information that I've received from friends and the internet so I wanted to truly understand the repercussions of my arrest. I made an appointment with Chad and thought, let me get my questions answered and decide whether or not should go with him or other attorneys I know. On our first appointment, we went over the details of my arrest and he informed me the reason the officers questioned me and how much evidence they had against me. At the time I had no idea that I was basically building a case against myself by answering their questions and cooperating with the officers. I was always taught to obey police officers because I believed they had my best intentions in mind however these sentiments obstructed me from exercising my rights. In addition, Chad went over the upcoming DMV hearing as well as what will likely happen with my DMV part of the case. At the conclusion of our meeting, I felt tremendously better because I had a deeper understanding to the context of my arrest as well as the timeline of events to come.
I decided to hire Chad for my case. I had options with other friends who either were attorneys or had attorneys in their family however they did not seem as experienced or as professional as Mr. Maddox--he was the only person I spoke with that completely answered my questions and provided such an abundant amount of information and hypotheticals that I knew he was the most qualified attorney to take my case. Not to mention that he is very friendly, non-intimidating, and pleasure to speak with.
During the course of my case, I literally did not have to do anything--as in show up to court or take any time away from work. Whenever I had a court date, he would mail me information regarding the appointment and would follow-up with a phone call to keep me updated on how the case was progressing. I would occasionally have questions which I would email to him and I always received a response within a few hours with either a phone-call or email. I was very happy with how responsive he was and how thorough he was to anticipate any follow-up questions. All of our conversations were very positive and he was never rude or condescending even when my questions were redundant.
So after 2 years of dealing with my case, I received a phone call from Chad with the good news that I got my case dismissed. I feel so relieved and am overwhelming happy that Chad beat my case in one of the highest conviction rate county's in the nation. I can't praise Chad and his super staff enough....I highly highly recommend