Please, before you employ Mr. McCutchen I ask that you take into consideration my experience with him and also realize especially if you are needing help with a criminal matter; the future condition and quality of your life could hinge upon the ethic and competence of your counsel. While I cannot lead by example in this respect, please learn from my mistake in choosing him to represent me. IMO you would be foolish to entrust your future or your money to this guy. He will fail you and you will regret your decision.
My initial meeting with him went well. While he didn't seem especially professional, he made up for it by being personable and I felt as if I might relate to him as a regular person as opposed to a lawyer and that put me at ease with him. He didn't rush me out of his office or seem hurried at all either, which I appreciated. He shares a converted old victorian house in Lagrange with other lawyers. The location would probably be convenient for anybody in the Lagrange area. He asked me relevant questions about my case and wrote notes in a yellow legal pad. He assured me we had a good case and that he would call me soon with next steps. We had talked about the lack of decent restaurants in town and I mentioned I was trying a new one and would email him a review...so he hand-wrote his email address on his card for me as he doesn't have a business email address.
A couple weeks passed. I did not hear from Mr McCutchen, but I assumed there was nothing to relay about my case. I got a letter in the mail from the courts concerning the time and date of my first hearing. The letter indicated it had also been sent to his law office. I tried numerous times to get in touch with him to find out how I should proceed, where to meet him, and what to expect. Never did I get an answer on the phone or a return call from numerous voicemails I left. Because of the nature of my case, I could not legally drive to his office and try to find him in person, so that was not an option. Finally I emailed him at the address he gave me and practically begged him to call me. He did call (this would be the first and last time he ever returned a call or email as it were) and indicated he had not seen the letter with the date of the hearing. He explained it away saying that they must have sent it to the wrong address. While I knew he was lying because the address the letter was sent to was included right on the paper I had in my hand, I didn't question it because everyone gets mixed up from time to time and I frankly I felt I desperately needed his help and didn't want to lose whatever favor I might have with him.
When he showed up at the hearing he had nothing in his possession but the yellow legal paper which he had written his notes on. No - not the legal pad. Not a briefcase. Not a binder. Just a few folded yellow sheets. He was extremely nervous acting, sweaty, and seemed to me to be totally uncomfortable and out of place. After meeting with the policeman who arrested me, Mr McCutchen met with me and said we would take my case to trial. I agreed it was the best option. He indicated we still had a good case and he would talk to the solicitor and call me by the end of the day. He never called...
Almost a month went by. I must have called his number 30 times. Always went to voicemail. I am out of room to type the rest....At this point I am sure you are getting the message I am trying to convey. Find a competent person who cares about you or at least cares about his own professional reputation to represent you. Its freezing here in Lagrange right now, but I am checking into the laws regarding picketing and I intend to picket outside his office when the weather warms a bit. I figure, its the least I can do. :) I am more than happy to truthfully answer any specific questions regarding my experience with this attorney as I don't want another person to make the same mistake I did. Feel free to email me at lawyerquestion@inbox.c o m .
Pros: I can think of no ""pro's"" as he relates to any other lawyer
Cons: Ignores Calls, No assistant/answering service, Incompitent
more