205 W. Jefferson Blvd., Suite 200, South Bend, Indiana, 46601
(888) 778-2656
17-Jul-12
Tony D
Being arrested and spending the night in jail could never be a pleasant experience, but Judge Stanko helped me make the best of a horrible time in my life, and I’m happy to share my experience to help others who get into trouble.
I was arrested at Notre Dame on a Saturday night, and I started looking for a lawyer as soon as I bonded out Sunday morning. I called Judge Stanko because of his great reviews, but I never expected him to answer his phone on a Sunday. He asked me if he could call me back later (he was on his way home from church), and I didn’t know if he would or not, but an hour later he called me back!
The first thing I liked was how much he really seemed to care about my situation. He gave me lots of useful information before we even talked about fees. When he did quote a fee, he was very specific and didn’t try to con me into paying by the hour (he only charges flat fees, which my parents really liked). The other lawyers I talked to before him quoted lower fees, but then told me it would cost more if I actually had them DO something! All they would do for their lower fee was plead me guilty, which I could do myself!
I went to his web site and paid his fee online, and as promised, he met me in court before my appointed time. You should know that court in South Bend starts at 8:00, but if you have a lawyer, he gets you past the long lines of people and gets you in and out before anyone else. I was back in my car going to class by 8:15!
When I went to court, Judge Stanko had the magistrate sign an order letting me drive with an ignition interlock, instead of taking my license. Not everybody can get this, but my breath test was pretty low.
The next time I went to court, after I finished my counseling and interlock, I pleaded guilty to public intoxication, my drunk driving case was dismissed, and I didn’t even get probation!
You have a lot of lawyers to choose from, but the cheap lawyers are just going to plead you guilty. You should call Judge Stanko and let him help you.
