MARTIN HASTINGS, ESQ.MARTIN D. HASTINGS, ESQ. RIPOFF, LIAR, LAZY SCUMBAG, WILL TAKE YOUR $$$ AND DO NOTHING!! Las Vegas Nevada
I gave Martin D. Hastings $10K to represent me after a drug arrest by the Feds. Hastings was to work on getting me released from Federal Detention (different process than simply making bail on state charges). Hastings wanted $20K total. I was fortunate enough to only give him half.
Hastings NEVER ONCE went to see me. He NEVER ONCE SPOKE with me on the phone. (Hastings doesn't accept toll calls from a jail.)
I had to get a friend to ask him when he was coming to see me and he kept telling her, "Oh, I will this week." When she asked about getting me released, Hastings FLAT OUT LIED and said "We have to wait until we get all the evidence," and "We have to make sure all our T's are crossed and our I's dotted." Total BULLSHIT!! (Getting someone released from Fed Detention has nothing to do with the evidence.)
After 3 months, I fired him because he wasn't doing anything. I had to get a friend to get the evidence to give to me because Hastings refused to even mail it to me!
AFTER he was fired, Hastings then quickly filed a motion for detention review, which failed because, among other things it was THREE MONTHS TOO LATE. He did it so he could appear to have been working on the case when he really wasn't.
After being fired, Hastings would NOT withdraw even after I hired another attorney. Hastings is still laughably listed as "lead attorney" in the case on the official paperwork. He finally withdrew a year after he'd been fired.
I've since learned that although he is allowed to practice in Federal Court, Hastings has no real experience handling complex Fed drug cases.
Hastings has not given me one dime back of my money even though by law he is supposed to present me with an itemized bill accounting for his expenses. Retainers are meant to cover future expenses. Basically, Hastings embezzled my money.
The State Bar is worthless in situations like these. They don't ever acknowledge wrong-doing on the part of one of their shyster, scumbag attorneys.
Paul
Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.
5 Updates & Rebuttals
Carl
El Cajon,California,
U.S.A.
Your turn to read my post
#6Consumer Comment
Sat, August 21, 2004
I was merely pointed out that your post lacked a lot of information that would be helpful to your cause. 99.9% of the work an attorney does need not even involve client contact. This includes legal research and investigation. You haven't posted anything from the replacement attorney regarding his/her opinion on the quality of work that the former attorney. And it is usually the repsonsibility of the NEW attonrey to coordinate the filing of paper work to remove the old attorney.
And don't insult me by calling me naive about state bars. I've been in practice for more than 10 years and I have filed complaints against other attorneys with the California bar and I know that they are serious about regulating lawyers. You don't seem to have any information aboue what steps they took to investigate your situation.
By the way, there are SEVERAL types of retainers and several functios of retainers, not just to secure future costs. Most criminal matters are handled on a flat fee basis, so the purpose and function of a retainer will vary from case to case. I've taken a few retainers in my time, so I am more than familiar with retainers.
The last line of my last report remains true. If you really want to do something about this, get a hold of your replacement lawyer and have him review the file. If he or she agrees with you that the lawyer was unprofessional and didn't earn the fee, they sue your previous attorney for a refund.
Paul
Las Vegas,Nevada,
U.S.A.
READ WHAT I SAID unprofessional conduct
#6Consumer Comment
Sat, August 21, 2004
Carl,
Did you READ what I said? I said Hastings NEVER ONCE came to see me, NEVER ONCE spoke to me and let me rot in jail FOR MONTHS when I could have been released because I had no priors. And after I fired him and HIRED ANOTHER ATTORNEY DO TO HIS job, Hastings wouldn't file the paperwork removing himself from my case. The other attorney did all the work. If this isn't unprofessional conduct on Hastings part, I don't know what would be.
And as for the Nevada State Bar, they were worthless. They even "lost" my claim to get back my retainer. You are pathetically naive if you think State Bars are there to help the public.
Attorneys are not just allowed to keep retainers. Retainers are supposed to cover FUTURE costs. Attorneys are supposed to, BY LAW, give an itemized account of their expenses and return any remaining money. Hastings repeatedly refused to do this in my case.
Please, no more rebuttals. There is no defending what that scumbag Hastings did to me. I am posting this to protect other people from getting ripped off by him, so stop defending him.
Carl
El Cajon,California,
U.S.A.
State Bars are not worthless
#6Consumer Suggestion
Fri, August 20, 2004
First of all, most states also have non-attorneys that sit on the governing board of the state bar. Second, all state bars have a vested interest in protect the integrity of the profession by weeding out the bad guys.
If the state bar investigated this guy and said he did nothing wrong, maybe that are right and maybe there's nothing to your claim. You won't know until you hire your own expert to review the file and see what this guy did wrong, if anything.
Paul
Las Vegas,Nevada,
U.S.A.
STATE BARS ARE WORTHLESS!!
#6Author of original report
Sun, August 15, 2004
Yes, I filed a complaint with the Nevada State Bar and was told Hastings "did nothing wrong." I also attempted to get my retainer back through them and they claimed they "lost [my] paperwork." They did absolutely nothing in this situation to assist me. They let Hastings rip me off.
State Bars are run by attorneys. They protect their own. They are sham organizations who do not protect the public.
Carl
El Cajon,California,
U.S.A.
State Bar worthless?
#6Consumer Comment
Sat, August 14, 2004
You say the state bar is worthless, but have you even tried to file a complaint?