Client Testimonials and Comments

"I knew with you, Neil, and Mike representing me that I'd be found not guilty at a new trial. I didn't kill anyone ...... they almost executed me twice ... I really got railroaded by the system ...... and spent over 10 years waiting for a new trial to prove it ... if I'd had a decent, competent attorney back in 1984, I would have never have been convicted in the first place ......"

- Bennie Harris. (Bennie was convicted of Aggravated Murder in 1984 and spent almost 12 years on death row at Walla Walla. His conviction was eventually overturned by a Federal court because his trial attorney was almost totally incompetent.

After Bennie's conviction was reversed, the Pierce County Prosecutor recharged him in 1997 with Aggravated Murder for the same alleged offense. I was hired to act as lead defense counsel at the new trial. On the first day of trial, the Prosecution reluctantly dismissed the charge due to insufficient evidence. Unfortunately, dismissal of the aggravated murder charge was not the end of Bennie's persecution by the State of Washington. For more details on this travesty of justice, go to www.truthinjustice.org/benny-harris.htm.)

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"You and the attorneys for my father and brother did such an excellent job. Hearing that jury say "not guilty" 27 times was such a relief ...... It's finally over. My brother and I can get on with our lives, and my father can return to his retirement without this horror hanging over his head anymore...... "

- Kellie H. ( Kellie, her brother, and father were charged with a total of 31 counts of Theft arising from some innocent bookkeeping errors involving their small family run business. Trial was held before Judge Anne Shindler of the King County Superior Court. Four the the charges were dismissed during trial.The jury delivered "not guilty" verdicts on all of the remaining 27 counts.)

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"I really wanted to have my day in court in this case because I was only defending myself. The guy attacked me and got what he deserved......but I didn't want to h put my fiancŽ on the stand to testify............so I guess a dismissal is something I can live with.......thanks again for all of your help and advice....... "

- Devlin D. (Assault Fourth Degree charge dismissed on day of trial in Northeast District Court after I convinced both the Prosecutor and Judge David Steiner during pretrial settlement conference that we had an unbeatable self defense case)

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"........your really tore that jerk apart on cross examination......you could see from their faces that the jury didn't believe a word he said.........you did a masterful job........what a warrior for justice!"

- Mark C. (Found not guilty of Assault Fourth Degree and Harassment before Pro Tem Judge McSeveny in Issaquah District Court).

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"When you came to the jail the day before trial and told me the Prosecutors were offering a plea deal to Assault One, I was so scared I almost took it but I sure am glad you convinced me not to... You sit in jail as long as I did..........you're ready to jump at anything. But I always had faith in you and Brad if we had to go to trial...... Man, I just can't thank you enough....... "

- Anthony J. (Anthony was charged in King County Superior Court as an accomplice to Felony Murder and Robbery First Degree for simply giving a friend a ride to the scene of a killing in Bellevue. After rejecting an initial plea offer to Assault First Degree the day before trial, the Prosecution backed down on the morning of trial and offered a minimum sentence to a much less serious, unrelated charge of Reckless Endangerment. Anthony entered his plea that day and was immediately released from jail to the joyous arms of his family)

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".........I had never been in trouble with the law in my entire life, and feared that a conviction would jeopardize my job. You did a great job at trial, Mr. McKay. The so-called "victim" came off as an intoxicated, jealous woman.......... she couldn't keep her phony story striaght. I don't know what else to say besides thanks....... "

- Daniel M. (Charged with Assault Fourth Degree and Unlawful Display of a Firearm in Black Diamond Municipal Court; found not guilty on both counts).

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"....you really kicked that Prosecutor's butt!! Can I go home now?"

- George D. (Client's statement to me after being found not guilty as an accomplice to Assault First Degree and Robbery First Degree in King County Juvenile Court by Judge Janice Neimi)

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" ...... I know my case looked bad at first but I wasn't guilty and I wasn't going to plead to something I didn't do. I could see from the juror's faces that they didn't believe my ex-girlfriend's story, especially after you kept tripping her up and made her contradict herself. I had faith in the jury and even more faith in you ...... "

- Ira P. (Found Not Guilty of Robbery Second Degree and Assault Third Degree before Judge LeRoy McCullough in King County Superior Court at the Regional Justice Center in Kent, Washington)

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"....man, I thought I was going to be convicted for sure. You saved BOTH our asses!"

- Melvin M. (Statement made to me by juvenile client after he and his co-defendant were found not guilty of Assault First Degree on the basis of an elaborate argument claiming self-defense. Tried before Judge Robert Alsdorf in King County Juvenile Court).

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" ...... getting me into a Deferred Prosecution program saved my license and my job. Until now, I didn't realize I was an alcoholic ...... the experience has changed my entire life ...... "

- Todd A. (Charged with DUI in Island County District Court. Completed deferred prosecution program sucessfully)

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" ...... thanks so much for coming to my rescue.....it's clear the Prosecutor and the State were determined to keep me locked up forever if they could.....you and Mike made those shrinks from Western State look like puppets ...... after 14 years of being locked up, I just want to take a walk down a city street ...... sit on a park bench ...... and learn to drive a car again...."

- Bennie Harris (remarks made to myself and co-counsel Mike Clark after a civil committment trial in Pierce County Superior Court in July of 1997 before Judge Brian Tollefson. After the Pierce County Prosecutor dismissed the Aggravated Murder charges against Bennie in 1997, they tried to have him civilly committed for life based on a claim that his mental illness made him a future danger to society.The jury found the State's case incredibly weak, finding that Bennie was not a future danger to the community and should be released from Western State Hospital . For a more complete summary of this ongoing travesty of justice, please check out the link provided above).

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" ...... after I was convicted at my first trial, I was in shock. Everyone, even the judge, was in shock ...... I never shot anyone, and my attorneys at that time couldn't believe any reasonable jury would convict me ...... When you took over as my attorney, I didn't have much hope that we could get a new trial but you kept my spirits up and came up with the right arguments. All I can say, Robert, is thanks ...... "

- Kevin G. (Originally convicted in King County Superior Court of Murder Second Degree and Assault First Degree while represented by two other attorneys, the judge who presided over the trial invited the defense to move for a new trial. After several months of research and investigation, and with the invaluable assistance of his two original attorneys, the judge granted Kevin a new trial based my arguments and briefs on newly discovered witness testimony and evidence that would have changed the outcome of the original trial. The new trial is currently pending.)

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" ...... I felt in my heart that we were going to win this case because I honestly didn't know that stuff was stolen ...... if I had accepted the plea deals the Prosecutor offered, I would not be able to go to college and would have lost my job ...... my family would have been devastated.......the way you convinced that jury that my confession was coerced was fantastic ...... "

- Patrick R. ( Found not guilty of seven counts of Possession of Stolen Property before Judge Norma Huggins, King County Superior Court).

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"I've been through several dozen attorney sites today, and yours is by far the most informative and complete site I've seen. There's more valuable information for a layperson at your site than at dozens of the others combined"

- A father whose daughter had been charged with a drinking offense.

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It would be impossible to list all of the cases I've handled over the past 17 years that resulted in dismissals, reduced charges, successful plea negotiations, or not guilty verdicts. I do not always write down in my trial notes the kind comments of my clients or keep the "thank you" letters that they or their relatives have sent me over the years. I think it would be fair to say that these testimonials and client comments are pretty typical of most of the cases I've defended successfully. Certainly there are cases that I have lost. In others cases, my clients have been found guilty of lesser charges than the ones we went to trial on. In other cases, my clients were convicted of some charges and not others when multiple crimes are alleged. But even in those cases, I have never had a client turn to me and say "you could have done better".

I put my heart and soul into every case I take on. And that's what you can expect if you hire me to represent you.