I paid the Coffey Firm $5,000 to represent me in a DWI case, and I would not hire this firm again. I sent multiple detailed emails raising issues I believed were important to my defense. Other attorneys at the firm responded at times, but Mimi Coffey herself did not meaningfully address what I sent. When I finally spoke with her at court, she had printed copies of my emails. While I tried to discuss the defenses and evidence I had emailed her, she acted visibly irritated and dismissive. She looked at the ceiling, looked away from where I was sitting, repeatedly said things like “Oh my God,” and then accused ME of being unprofessional. I was the paying client facing a criminal conviction and trying to discuss my own defense with the attorney I hired. I did not expect her to agree with every argument I raised, but I did expect her to listen, evaluate the evidence, and professionally explain her position. Instead, I felt like I was an inconvenience. I also felt heavily pushed toward accepting a plea. Ms. Coffey offered me a plea of two years probation. When I asked what would happen if I rejected it, went to jury trial and lost, she told me that because of an old conviction, I would not qualify for probation and the judge would give me two years in prison. Naturally, that made rejecting the plea sound like I was risking guaranteed prison time. However, once we were in the courtroom, the judge told me directly that if I went to trial and was found guilty, he would consider only probation and was not going to send me to prison because of my old conviction. I found it extremely disturbing that I was being pressured to consider a plea based on information that the judge himself directly contradicted. Communication and follow-through were also terrible. Before one of my court appearances, I specifically told Ms. Coffey that I would be on a safari in Africa when the next court date was likely to be scheduled and asked her to make sure my next setting was after I returned. That was not done, and I was given a court date while I would be outside the country. I repeatedly called the firm asking them to get the date changed and was repeatedly told not to worry about it, but they never handled it. Shortly before leaving the country, I finally had to personally go to the courthouse, explain that my attorney had failed to get the date changed, and ask court personnel to help me obtain a new setting so I would not miss court and potentially face a warrant. Court personnel even told me this was something my attorney was supposed to handle. After paying approximately $5,000 for representation, I should never have been put in that position. The final breaking point came when I told Ms. Coffey at court that I was NOT accepting the plea and wanted a jury trial. She became extremely upset with me. That confirmed for me that I needed different representation. A defense attorney can recommend a plea, but the client still deserves to be heard, have legitimate questions addressed, understand the risks, and be treated professionally when deciding whether to plead guilty or exercise the right to trial. Based on my personal experience, I did not receive that level of representation. I terminated the relationship and hired different counsel. Based on my personal experience, I would strongly recommend thinking twice before hiring this firm. If you want an attorney who will listen to you, seriously examine your defense, communicate with you, and respect your decision to take your case to trial, I would look elsewhere. I paid $5,000 and ultimately had to fire the firm and hire another attorney. That should tell you everything you need to know about my experience.
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