Attorney Biography
Michael Richmond - Personal Information
I spent 14 years in the Navy (both Officer and Enlisted) before going to Law School here in San Diego at Thomas Jefferson School of Law. While in Law School I was a member of the Mock Trial Team.
I have a wife and two children and live in East County. Because I live in East County and represent Clients in El Cajon as well as the other three Court houses (Vista, Downtown and San Diego) I have located my office in El Cajon which is a great benefit not only to me because I don't have a rush hour commute (allowing me to spend more time on cases) but also to my clients for several reasons. The primary benefit that Clients see comes from the fact that I don't pay an outrageous amount of rent for my primary office like I would if my Office were downtown. If you think that is not important consider this - office rent, phones, advertising, power, payroll all go into what a lawyer has in terms of "overhead" and if your lawyer's "overhead" is very high then that cost is passed on to the Client.
Lower rent = lower cost to the Client. Plain and simple.
My Philosophy
Before I let you know what my defense philosophy let me tell you where I formed it. My philosophy was crystalized when I was arrested for a DUI in San Diego before I became a lawyer. As a result of my arrest I know exactly where you are coming from and that is not "lip service." Why is that important?
Went I went through this I was exposed to a lot of "sales" to try to get money out of my pocket - without regard to reality - some lawyers will say anything to get your business. Then if you do pay their astronomical fees you get treated like a number or worse can't even speak to the lawyer that you thought you hired. I won't treat you like a number.
Case wise: It is my belief that the government should always be held accountable. I can't break the law, so why should they be able to. Ensuring that the government plays by the rules (e.g. no rights violations); keeping your record clean; preventing you from losing your license; AND preventing you from being jailed - these are my goals for each and every client.
Professional Organizations
- The California Attorneys for Criminal Justice.
- The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
- National College For DUI Defense.
- California DUI lawyers Association.
- San Diego County Better Business Bureau membership.
Specialized Training
- Certified operator of the Intoxilyzer ("breath machine").
- CES Consulting certified Intoxilyzer maintenance tech.
- N.H.T.S.A. Standard Field Sobriety Testing Course.