Never Judge a Book by Its Cover: The Underdog Lawyer

During my Fourth of July extended weekend road trip across multiple states, I found myself pulled over and issued a speeding ticket in Virginia. I felt awful because practically everyone else was driving at the same speed, but I was the unlucky one caught that day! When I googled the fines and points associated with that ticket. My heart sank when I saw that it was a criminal offense in Virginia! My vacation felt ruined before it even started.

When I was searching for a lawyer to contest this ticket, I spoke to dozens of top-tier attorneys charging anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000. With so much money on the line, I meticulously researched every lawyer I considered hiring. Many promised to get the violation downgraded to a lesser charge, potentially avoiding a criminal misdemeanor. One even pledged to take the case to appellate court if necessary. While these offers were reassuring, the costs involved were simply too steep.

Then, I had a stroke of genius—or perhaps desperation. I thought, if I could appeal the judgment later anyway, why not take a chance with a less expensive lawyer now? If the initial ruling didn’t go my way, I could still pay more for an appeal later. What if this budget lawyer actually pulled off a miracle? So, I began looking for lesser-known, B-grade lawyers.

I found one on a lawyers’ portal website. His listing had minimal information and just a Gmail ID. It was the digital equivalent of a shady back-alley office. His one-page website looked like it was designed by someone new to HTML. The only thing that caught my eye was that he practiced in the same county where I received the ticket. So, I called him and recounted the entire incident.

“Yeah, we get a lot of clients like that. It’s very common here. I’ll try to get you down to something that’s not a misdemeanor or possibly get the ticket dismissed,” he said in a calm, almost bored voice.

“Dismissed?! What is he talking about? No other lawyer mentioned that. This guy must be a scam artist promising unrealistic results!” I thought to myself. I was convinced he was a B-grade lawyer for a reason, and his too-good-to-be-true promises confirmed it.

But then, the penny-pincher bania in me decided to take a chance. After all, it couldn’t be worse than a coin toss that ended up getting me married, right?

“My charges are $200 flat, and I’d need you to take a defensive driver’s course before I take your case to the judge,” he continued.

“$200? That’s all?! Did he miss a zero? He is definitely a scam!” I reaffirmed my thoughts. I wasn’t willing to waste any more time on him, so I politely ended the conversation.

“Okay, Charles. Sounds good to me. Let me get back to you in a day or two.”

“Sure. Good luck and have a great day,” he said and hung up the phone.

I immediately dismissed him as a scammer and resumed my search for other lawyers in the $2,000-$5,000 category.

The next day, I reevaluated my strategy. “There’s no harm in hiring him. After all, he is charging a meager sum of $200. Even if I end up losing, I still have the saved money to use for an appeal to a higher court,” I thought. The $200 seemed more reasonable after hearing the high quotes from other lawyers. So, I called him, paid $200 by credit card, and sealed the deal, though I remained highly skeptical about my decision.

“Now, what I’d like you to do is to take a defensive driver’s course as soon as you can. Have you taken one before?” he asked.

“Yes, I have,” I replied.

“When was it?”

“It was about six years ago,” I answered.

“Okay, that’s great because you can take it only once every five years. So you’re good to go,” he said.

“Okay, but can I ask why we are doing this differently? Other attorneys said they would negotiate with the prosecutor first about me taking this course in exchange for reduced charges,” I inquired.

“Well, I work differently. When I present your case to the judge, he is going to be appreciative of the fact that you’ve taken necessary steps to correct issues in your driving techniques, so just do as I say for now,” he said firmly.

After ending the conversation, I scheduled an appointment for the defensive driving course and completed it the following week. I sent him the certificate as he requested and waited for the court date.

I was at work when I received his email in the afternoon. It contained only four words and some paperwork attached: “Case Dismissed. See attached.”

I was so stunned that I read those words three times before opening the attachment, which indeed was a dismissal notice. What I had initially dismissed as a B-grade lawyer turned out to be my hero. I wanted to express my gratitude with a bonus and glowing feedback, but he never responded to my emails after that. He was truly a no-nonsense underdog lawyer!