Legal Aid Solicitors in East Midlands

[Chris1]

Hi all.

I have recently been charged a year after my voluntary police interview (no forensics, no phones taken etc). I am still in shock because it's a ridiculous decision for many reasons.

However, I now need to find a good solicitor on legal aid. I didn't have confidence in my duty solicitor and have had to move out the area where the allegations were made as I am on a leave of absence from my University.

Does anyone know of a good legal aid solicitor in the East Midlands? Preferably near Loughborough/Nottingham/Derby?


Any help would be greatly appreciated as I don't have too much time until my first magistrates court appearance!

[Faith]

I personally don't and hopefully someone may come along to help

But ensure that your solicitor when you find them specifies that they are specialists in dealing with this form of allegation. Good luck!

[YearsOfHell]

Have look through here:

http://www.daftmoo.org.uk/mooforum/s...list+solicitor

YoH

[Casehardened]

You have supported other members while waiting to hear of your own decision so now it will be your turn.

I know you have not felt able to post up explicit details of your own case as this is a public forum but do remember that the jury who will hear your account are composed of 'normal' folks rather than the police/CPS who assume guilt!

[Chris1]

Thanks mate.

I know, it's just there has already been media attention and this whole experience has made me very wary as I trusted the police would do their job and it wouldn't even go to the CPS, I then thought surely the CPS would do their job and see common sense, but a whole cluster bomb of things have happened and after a year I've been charged and am finding it very hard to cope. I have posted on daftmoo as 'ChrisV123' though with more detail.

If I can find a good solicitor (no luck with that link but thank you anyway YOH), what would they need to do to try and get this dropped before trial?

If I could have a trial tomorrow anonymously I would as I know I'm innocent and believe that would show. However, the prospect of being named and linked to a crime I did not commit online fills me with dread. Also, I am aware that newspapers sensationalise and a 'case' with two students etc tends to get covered and then when you're found not guilty plenty of damage is already done. It really scares me if I'm honest and is completely unfair.

Faith, you mentioned finding a specialist? Aren't most criminal defence solicitors experienced in sexual allegation cases? As I will be on legal aid I am concerned that I find the right person, but all the specialists I can find online seem to be private only solicitors.

Thanks

[Faith]

You would need a specialist who is used to dealing with false sex allegation cases - many who do so do legal aid and they will specify on their website or through an initial chat if they do so.

Many are just general criminal solicitors - jack of all trades but master of none. Don't worry, there are lots out there who have the experience and many will do legal aid.

Don't worry too much about the press at this stage, we do see articles in them that are sensational but when you compare to the number of sex cases that go through court to those which make the press, you will see that many go unnoticed.

When you meet with a solicitor, it can be something you can raise with them too, sometimes a judge can agree to a gagging order for the press - I have no knowledge of how that works or what circumstances there need to be to argue for that, but worth getting professional advice on if you are truly worried.

But your focus should be on the case itself. You can't rely on the case being thrown out early unfortunately - obviously once charges are made they believe for whatever reason that they at least have a chance of conviction so something significant would have to change to result in anything being thrown out and even then, they would try to avoid it as it looks pretty shambolic to chuck out cases.

If it ever happened then cool, big bonus and it CAN happen - but focus on clearing your name and building a solid case over all else. And that first step is finding that solicitor so hopefully you can track down a specialist soon and start getting your fighting gloves on to demolish the lies against you.

Take care.

[Casehardened]

Faith, you mentioned finding a specialist? Aren't most criminal defence solicitors experienced in sexual allegation cases? As I will be on legal aid I am concerned that I find the right person, but all the specialists I can find online seem to be private only solicitors.

I'll take the liberty of answering for Faith as, for various reasons the forum 'night shift' is more convenient for me atm.

Most criminal defence solicitors are used to dealing with clients who are actually guilty of the offence for which they have been charged for the simple reason that any offence that doesn't have 'sexual' in the title needs actual evidence to charge rather than just a statement! Therefore the defence consists of looking for legal loopholes or at worst mitigating and of course if you had actually committed the offence this would be fine.

A false allegation needs a different set of skills in that it is necessary to trip the complainant up in court to show the jury that he/she is lying but without being harsh enough to alienate the jury; by this token the choice of barrister is equally important but again, a specialist solicitor will usually work with one or two chosen barristers with experience in this field.

[EDIT: Apologies to Faith for stealing his thunder; I can't type as quickly!]

[Casehardened]

I have just read your account on the other forum and I completely agree that it would not be wise to post up those very specific details on here. (obviously my post above was written before understanding your situation but I will leave it up for general advicei!)

Hopefully if members have any recommendations for legal aid solicitors in the areas you mention they will post them up.

[Chris1]

Thanks for your replies Faith and CH. When I'm searching online I can't really find any specialists as such. Is it just a case of asking them directly? It would be rare for a Legal Aid solicitor to put down that he only specialises in sexual allegations wouldn't it? I mean, they are going to cover a number of criminal defence areas aren't they?

This has taken me aback so much I am questioning everything so apologies if I'm coming across as naive.

[Casehardened]

Did you get a chance to look through the list YoH linked to in post #3?

If there weren't any suitable firms in this list there is a much more organised table of solicitors over in the other forum.

I guess you are correct re. advertising but you will find the best firms collect work by word of mouth recommendations (hence our lists!) and are so busy with these cases they don't get round to taking on 'normal' criminal cases and therefore become specialists by default.

It's worth taking time over this search but do take into account our member's recommendation as well as the firms own advertising....

[Chris1]

Yes I did but I couldn't find anything in the area I am looking at unfortunately. I also looked at the Solicitors/Barristers/QCs section on the other forum and couldn't find anything there (presumably that's where you meant).

Thank you for the advice. I think I'm panicking at the moment because I was only charged late last week and my first magistrates appearance is early April so need someone good in place soon if poss. With regard to choice of Barristers, do I have a say in that and is it decided straight away? I was under the impression that the solicitor chose them nearer to a trial date.

Thanks again

[Lucky]

might be really left field....but why not try the Law society, who could refer you to a local firm who specialises in what you need

good luck bud

[Rights Fighter]

Chris - I have referred a few solicitors to you now. I very much appreciate that you are really worried and feel alone in this. However, as I said in my last email to you, if you do not make a choice now the court may make it for you.

The solicitor should know who the best barristers are for specific cases. For instance you don't want a barrister who is great at "getting burglars off". I do know that Adrian Langdale is a good caring barrister based I think in Nottingham.

You will have to ask the solicitor who they will instruct

[Chris1]

Chris - I have referred a few solicitors to you now. I very much appreciate that you are really worried and feel alone in this. However, as I said in my last email to you, if you do not make a choice now the court may make it for you.

The solicitor should know who the best barristers are for specific cases. For instance you don't want a barrister who is great at "getting burglars off". I do know that Adrian Langdale is a good caring barrister based I think in Nottingham.

You will have to ask the solicitor who they will instruct

Yes, I'll start making some calls today. How often do people tend to meet their solicitor in person? I ask because if it's not too many I could maybe justify going to someone a bit further away who's nearer to the area the trial would take place.

I did google Adrian Langdale but I think he's based in London now from what I found. Does sound good though.