Denied CHL, appeal 1 denied (spoke to mr cotton)

[The Annoyed Man]

stevenpopham, just out of curiosity, are you free to say which jurisdiction this occurred in? I would like to avoid the place in case I accidentally cross my eyes or pass gas on a public sidewalk there. God knows what would happen, and I'd hate to do time because I had beans for lunch.

[puma guy]

stevenpopham, just out of curiosity, are you free to say which jurisdiction this occurred in? I would like to avoid the place in case I accidentally cross my eyes or pass gas on a public sidewalk there. God knows what would happen, and I'd hate to do time because I had beans for lunch.

I'd truly like to know where this occurred as well. This makes the kangaroo courts in Patton Village and Shenendoah seem like a pimple. Have you considered appealing to the Gov. as a veteran whose getting a raw deal to get some kind action from him? OR Maybe get some news coverage?

[baldeagle]

Any attorney that told me to take a deal on a charge I was innocent of would get immediately fired. Attorneys aren't gods no more than doctors are. They advise. You decide. Pay Charles Cotton to straighten out your mess, and don't give another dime to the shyster you've been dealing with - family attorney or not.

[stevenpopham]

I was arrested in guadlupe county and they dropped the charges, the texas dps picked them up and took them to wilson county (my home county). I have a court date for march 19th to get a change of order- or clairifaction done and then my chl will be done. I hope not to need a lawyer again. Unless its for business purposes. Normally I would agree with everyone on here but getting this behind us in 2007 allowed me to keep my security clearance and job. The state won because we ended up with a total case cost of almost 200k. I was tapped for everything I had and credit cards were maxed out. my dad was spent out. If I had more money I would have fought it all the way just for the personal satifaction. Ive taken an interest and have watch local court cases just to learn. It happens alot. People that should walk with nothing on their record take a plea bargin to avoid missing work and losing their job. Or people that needed better lawyers. I see drug addicts, or habbitual drunk drivers that know the system better then lawyers and walk (it really makes me mad when you hear 3rd-4th-5th time of them being in court). I have learned alot of hard lessons that I will never make again, Everybody says it but hind site is 20/20. If i hand know half of what I do now I would have fought it. I told Mr. Cotton I would pay his fees happily to repersent me over the phone. He gracously told me to have my lawyer call him and he would spoon feed it to him.

He is the reason I joined this board. I want to give back to this community.

[03Lightningrocks]

Any attorney that told me to take a deal on a charge I was innocent of would get immediately fired. Attorneys aren't gods no more than doctors are. They advise. You decide. Pay Charles Cotton to straighten out your mess, and don't give another dime to the shyster you've been dealing with - family attorney or not.

Amen to that one! In 1997 ...maybe 96... I had to utilize deadly force for self defense. My son and I were under attack. No ifs, ands or buts about it! Long story short... My attorney suggested I plea my way out to keep from risking 30 years in prison. I told him ... (I can't say on this forum what I told him...LOL.) two weeks later the grand jury " no billed the case as self defense and had a confession from my attackers( well... One of them) that cleared me 100%. Thank goodness I did not give in to fear. Trust me folks.... The threat of a long prison term can scare a person into doing almost anything. I can completely understand why a person would take a deal rather than face our "coin toss" legal system. It is truly a disaster.

[texanjoker]

Any attorney that told me to take a deal on a charge I was innocent of would get immediately fired. Attorneys aren't gods no more than doctors are. They advise. You decide. Pay Charles Cotton to straighten out your mess, and don't give another dime to the shyster you've been dealing with - family attorney or not.

[texanjoker]

I was arrested in guadlupe county and they dropped the charges, the texas dps picked them up and took them to wilson county (my home county). I have a court date for march 19th to get a change of order- or clairifaction done and then my chl will be done. I hope not to need a lawyer again. Unless its for business purposes. Normally I would agree with everyone on here but getting this behind us in 2007 allowed me to keep my security clearance and job. The state won because we ended up with a total case cost of almost 200k. I was tapped for everything I had and credit cards were maxed out. my dad was spent out. If I had more money I would have fought it all the way just for the personal satifaction. Ive taken an interest and have watch local court cases just to learn. It happens alot. People that should walk with nothing on their record take a plea bargin to avoid missing work and losing their job. Or people that needed better lawyers. I see drug addicts, or habbitual drunk drivers that know the system better then lawyers and walk (it really makes me mad when you hear 3rd-4th-5th time of them being in court). I have learned alot of hard lessons that I will never make again, Everybody says it but hind site is 20/20. If i hand know half of what I do now I would have fought it. I told Mr. Cotton I would pay his fees happily to repersent me over the phone. He gracously told me to have my lawyer call him and he would spoon feed it to him.

He is the reason I joined this board. I want to give back to this community.

take my advice and get onto the TX DPS website and run your criminal history to see what it says. I can't tell you how many times I hear somebody saying something shouldn't be on there, they pay and it is. There is an appeal process if it shouldn't be there. See the link below to get it.

https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/DpsWe ... alHistory/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[apostate]

I was arrested in guadlupe county and they dropped the charges, the texas dps picked them up and took them to wilson county (my home county). I have a court date for march 19th to get a change of order- or clairifaction done and then my chl will be done. I hope not to need a lawyer again. Unless its for business purposes. Normally I would agree with everyone on here but getting this behind us in 2007 allowed me to keep my security clearance and job. The state won because we ended up with a total case cost of almost 200k. I was tapped for everything I had and credit cards were maxed out. my dad was spent out. If I had more money I would have fought it all the way just for the personal satifaction. Ive taken an interest and have watch local court cases just to learn. It happens alot. People that should walk with nothing on their record take a plea bargin to avoid missing work and losing their job. Or people that needed better lawyers. I see drug addicts, or habbitual drunk drivers that know the system better then lawyers and walk (it really makes me mad when you hear 3rd-4th-5th time of them being in court). I have learned alot of hard lessons that I will never make again, Everybody says it but hind site is 20/20. If i hand know half of what I do now I would have fought it. I told Mr. Cotton I would pay his fees happily to repersent me over the phone. He gracously told me to have my lawyer call him and he would spoon feed it to him.

He is the reason I joined this board. I want to give back to this community.

take my advice and get onto the TX DPS website and run your criminal history to see what it says. I can't tell you how many times I hear somebody saying something shouldn't be on there, they pay and it is. There is an appeal process if it shouldn't be there. See the link below to get it.

https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/DpsWe ... alHistory/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Considering the fact his CHL application has already been denied (after 88 days per his initial post) that seems rather like closing the stable doors after the horse has bolted.

[priusron]

I work in prison. There are a large number of offenders that are incarcerated because their lawyer told them to take a plea deal. I would never plea on something I didnt do. I understand the discussion but would fore a lawyer that was pushing me that way. I would then report them to the board. I am not a lawyer but my daughter is.

[03Lightningrocks]

Socioeconomic factors play a very heavy roll in plea deals much of the time. I will bet dollars to donuts that the majority of bum plea deals accepted in our great country are accepted by people of lower income status.

Standing up tall on the Internet and proclaiming one would never accept a pla bargain for a crime they did not commit is real easy to do. It is however, NOT REALITY. It is also a luxury that only the wealthy can enjoy.

I have an idea. How about we all share real stories of our criminal charges, how we proved our innocence and what the total cost was. Everyone else... Well.... Just hope and pray you never find yourself facing that very difficult choice.

I will start. Two counts... Aggravated assualt and attempted murder. Possible sentence... 30 years hard time. If it goes to trial... Legal expenses could easily exceed 15 grand... Appeals would be in addition. I was already down 15k for my ten percent of the 150k bond and 2500 to get my attorney out of bed. My options were to fight it and pay those bills... Or plead it out and get off with probation.... No jail time. Two kids at home... No mother or anyone else to care for them. I told the lawyer I would burn in hell before I plead guilty to opening up on those two scum bags. I had the money that allowed me the luxury of fighting it... No matter the cost.

Take that same scenario and a public defender while I am sitting in jail with no money for bond and two kids alone at home, that I could lose to the system and what would I do? Anything I had to so I could take care of my kids!!

People!! Like it or not... Our justice system is a travesty! It is weighted in the favor of people with money! Quit talking about who shot John unless you have been there... Done that. If you have never faced a real threat of spending time in prison, don't get on a Internet forum and brag about what you would do. Would you go to jail to prove your point? You can't answer because you have not been there.

I'm done now...

[G26ster]

Socioeconomic factors play a very heavy roll in plea deals much of the time. I will bet dollars to donuts that the majority of bum plea deals accepted in our great country are accepted by people of lower income status.

Standing up tall on the Internet and proclaiming one would never accept a pla bargain for a crime they did not commit is real easy to do. It is however, NOT REALITY. It is also a luxury that only the wealthy can enjoy.

I have an idea. How about we all share real stories of our criminal charges, how we proved our innocence and what the total cost was. Everyone else... Well.... Just hope and pray you never find yourself facing that very difficult choice.

I will start. Two counts... Aggravated assualt and attempted murder. Possible sentence... 30 years hard time. If it goes to trial... Legal expenses could easily exceed 15 grand... Appeals would be in addition. I was already down 15k for my ten percent of the 150k bond and 2500 to get my attorney out of bed. My options were to fight it and pay those bills... Or plead it out and get off with probation.... No jail time. Two kids at home... No mother or anyone else to care for them. I told the lawyer I would burn in heck before I plead guilty to opening up on those two scum bags. I had the money that allowed me the luxury of fighting it... No matter the cost.

Take that same scenario and a public defender while I am sitting in jail with no money for bond and two kids alone at home, that I could lose to the system and what would I do? Anything I had to so I could take care of my kids!!

People!! Like it or not... Our justice system is a travesty! It is weighted in the favor of people with money! Quit talking about who shot John unless you have been there... Done that. If you have never faced a real threat of spending time in prison, don't get on a Internet forum and brag about what you would do. Would you go to jail to prove your point? You can't answer because you have not been there.

I'm done now...

You come out of your shell and tell us what you really think

The internet is THE modern place for folks to huff and puff about what they would do in various situations. The reality is that those who have been there (and have the T-shirt to prove it) are the only one's that really know what they would or would not do.

[03Lightningrocks]

I work in prison. There are a large number of offenders that are incarcerated because their lawyer told them to take a plea deal. I would never plea on something I didnt do. I understand the discussion but would fore a lawyer that was pushing me that way. I would then report them to the board. I am not a lawyer but my daughter is.

I would fire a lawyer that failed to give me all my options and allow me to choose.

[03Lightningrocks]

Socioeconomic factors play a very heavy roll in plea deals much of the time. I will bet dollars to donuts that the majority of bum plea deals accepted in our great country are accepted by people of lower income status.

Standing up tall on the Internet and proclaiming one would never accept a pla bargain for a crime they did not commit is real easy to do. It is however, NOT REALITY. It is also a luxury that only the wealthy can enjoy.

I have an idea. How about we all share real stories of our criminal charges, how we proved our innocence and what the total cost was. Everyone else... Well.... Just hope and pray you never find yourself facing that very difficult choice.

I will start. Two counts... Aggravated assualt and attempted murder. Possible sentence... 30 years hard time. If it goes to trial... Legal expenses could easily exceed 15 grand... Appeals would be in addition. I was already down 15k for my ten percent of the 150k bond and 2500 to get my attorney out of bed. My options were to fight it and pay those bills... Or plead it out and get off with probation.... No jail time. Two kids at home... No mother or anyone else to care for them. I told the lawyer I would burn in heck before I plead guilty to opening up on those two scum bags. I had the money that allowed me the luxury of fighting it... No matter the cost.

Take that same scenario and a public defender while I am sitting in jail with no money for bond and two kids alone at home, that I could lose to the system and what would I do? Anything I had to so I could take care of my kids!!

People!! Like it or not... Our justice system is a travesty! It is weighted in the favor of people with money! Quit talking about who shot John unless you have been there... Done that. If you have never faced a real threat of spending time in prison, don't get on a Internet forum and brag about what you would do. Would you go to jail to prove your point? You can't answer because you have not been there.

I'm done now...

You come out of your shell and tell us what you really think

The internet is THE modern place for folks to huff and puff about what they would do in various situations. The reality is that those who have been there (and have the T-shirt to prove it) are the only one's that really know what they would or would not do.

[snorri]

Wisdom sometimes comes from experience but all too often experience comes from bad judgement.

[dac1842]

I will probably offend someone with this, but it won't be the first time. The OP said he had talked to Charles Cotton. After that the opinion of anyone is absolutely irrelevant. Mr. Cotton, (no I have not personally met him) is the single most qualified voice to answer the questions of the OP.
It amazes me not only that others continued to give bad advice knowing that. I know that no one meant anything malicious, but come on folks, when legal questions are asked, let those with the legal background answer it.