Reviews

I had a fatal auto accident in 2010, in 2011 the state charged me with Vehicular Homocide. There were no drugs or alcohol involved. My sugar dropped and I passed out driving. This was a first and only occurance, until it happened I wasn't even aware that low sugar could make you pass out/black out. I had forgotten to eat that morning, ( I had actually fixed myself a sandwich and got busy doing something else, and forgot to eat it) I had not been diagnosed as Diabetic at this time, but my PCP had been monitoring my A1C for about 5 years, it had not, up to that point been high enough on a regular basis for her to diagnose me as Diabetic. This attorney was recommended to me by an aquaintence. He also made a new will for my Dad after my Mom passed away. I did have a consultation with him. He charged me $8000.00 and then took the plea that the state offered, he did not try negoiate anything for me. I had a completely clean record when this happened. Had not had so much as a parking ticket in over 10 years. The excuse he gave me for not taking it to trial is that he couldn't prove a negative. i assume he meant he couldn't prove that my sugar had dropped, because by the time I got to the hospital everythng was normal. But the fact that my doctor had been monitoring my A1C for the last 5 years, should have been proof that I was at risk. I had never been arrested, had no idea what to expect. After the hearing and him telling me that the plea agreement would be the best way to go. Luckily, the Judge was very compassionate, he told the court, he wanted it specified in the court documents that no drugs or alcohol was involved, and he asked me two times if I was sure I wanted to enter this plea. He also told the court that I would receive the lowest grade felony possible I ended up with 6 years probation, but no jail time. My attorney told me I was looking at 6 years (behind bars) if we went to trial. He was convinced (or at leat he acted like he was) that a jury would find me at fault. So I didn't feel that I had much choice but to take the plea that he agreed to. This was the first and only charge I had ever had against me. And after the hearing I asked him (my attorney) repeatedly about getting my license back. How long would it take? How would i go about getting them back. Not one time did he ever tell me that if I don't get any other charges against me, once I complete my probation, I should be able to get this expunged, as well as get my license back. He didn't even mention being able to expunge it. So I am a convicted felon. I could never get any answers from my attorney, so I continued to drive. And I got pulled over in Greene County, and like an idoit I contacted Luethke again. It took him 80 days to get me out of Sullivan County Jail. And that is where I was told about the expuungement. One of the girls I was incarcerated with told me about it. Not my attorney. Although he did charge me another $2500.00 for the ordeal in Greeneville. Then a few weeks after my getting out of jail in Sullivan County, he had his secretary call me and make an appointment to see him. So I went to the office to meet with him, so he could tell me that he hadn't charged me enough for the job in Greene County and that I owed him another $1500.00 . In my opinion, considering what I have learned from other attorneys, He didn't deserve what I paid him the first time. In my opinion, after the slob of a job he did with the main case, he sure didn't deserve the other $2500.00 I gave him. Would I recommend him? Absolutely not. He's in it for the money, and could care less about his clients. After what I've been through. knowing he could have negoiated a better deal with the state attorney, but instead he took my $8000.00 ( Paid in cash up front, it wasn't like he didn't think he was going to get paid) and didn't do squat for me.