STRAIGHT TALK

Q. WHAT TYPES OF LAW DO YOU PRACTICE?
A.  Luke practices criminal defense. This includes, but is not limited to, charges related to drugs, alcohol, motor vehicles, physical violence, protective orders, white collar crimes (such as embezzlement and forgery) and many others.

 

Luke also practices adoption law for families adopting through Oklahoma DHS.

 

Q. WHAT TYPES OF LAW DO YOU NOT PRACTICE?
A.  First and foremost, Luke does not travel; he has plenty of work to do in Payne County. Also, part of what makes Luke an effective advocate is knowing the nuances of the District Attorneys and Judges in Payne County.  This is Luke's home, he knows it well, and he doesn't leave.

 

Luke does not practice in other areas of law, including estate-planning, landlord/tenant, divorce/custody and oil/gas; however, please feel free to contact the firm. We can give you a referral to competent attorneys who are better able to assist you.

 

Q. HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE?
A.  It depends. This firm charges most criminal cases with a flat fee. In most cases, this flat fee covers normal costs and legal fees. The firm reserves the right to set an individual fee for each case when quoted. These fees typically break down along the following lines:

  • Misdemeanor (non-Drug and non-DUI):  $2,000 and up.
  • Misdemeanor Drug: $2,500 and up.
  • Misdemeanor DUI:  $4,000 and up. DUI fees typically cover two cases, both the criminal case and the Department of Public Safety case that affects your driver's license.
  • Felonies (non-DUI):  $4,000 and up. These rates can go up based on certain factors including, but not limited to: a Search/Arrest Warrant, large quantities of drugs, great bodily injury, the novelty of the case, crimes involving children and prior criminal history.
  • Felony DUI: $5,000 and up.
  • Expungements: $2,000 and up.
  • Misdemeanor Applications to Accelerate or Revoke Deferred/Suspended Sentence: $1,000 and up.
  • Felony Applications to Accelerate or Revoke Deferred/Suspended Sentence:  $2,000 and up.

Again, these are only guidelines. Your rates may be higher or lower than the examples given here, but these should give you a fairly good idea of what you can expect to pay.

 

Q. WHY DO YOU HAVE "FLAT" FEES?
A.  Attorneys have three basic fee structures: Flat, Hourly and Contingent. Flat fees are preferred by this firm because it takes money out of the equation when making legal decisions and when communicating with the client. Luke wants to be free to take whatever steps that you both deem necessary to defend you, and Luke does not want "rising costs" to get in the way. Your case might not be over soon, but you will know that your attorney is not "dragging it out" to run up legal fees.

 

Q. WHAT DOES YOUR FLAT FEE NOT COVER?
A.  Trials:  If a case is going to go to trial, then additional monies will be due at that time. It is especially difficult to quote a trial fee early on because we are unable to know how long the trial will take, how many witnesses will be needed to testify and if there will be expert witness fees, an independent lab analysis, etc.

 

Costs:  Sometimes certain costs are necessary that are not contemplated in the initial fee. These costs can include independent lab fees, drug screening fees, polygraph fees, etc.

 

Q. CAN I SEE A COPY OF YOUR CONTRACT?
A.  Yes, there is a link to it here (.docx format)

 

Q. AM I GOING TO JAIL? 
A.  It depends. There is no way for any honest attorney to answer this question without considering your personal story, the charges against you and your potential legal defenses. Any other answer is just dishonest and opportunistic.

 

Q. WILL I WIN MY CASE?
A.  “Winning” can mean a lot of different things. It depends on what your definition of “win” is. Winning can, and often does, mean having your day in court and having a judge or a jury dismiss the charges. Winning can also mean that the charges are reduced. Winning can mean negotiating and completing a plea agreement that protects what you value, like your criminal record or staying out of jail.

 

Q. I HAVE AN OLD CASE, CAN I GET IT EXPUNGED?
A.  Possibly. You need to call the office for a free consultation. Luke and his staff handle numerous expungement matters each month. Many cases can be expunged, many cannot. You won’t know unless you call.

 

Q. WHY SHOULD I HIRE YOU?
A.  Maybe you should, and maybe you should not. Luke is not the right attorney for every person. The relationship between attorney and client is a very important one, and both the attorney and the client should feel that it is a good match. We can tell you why you should contact the firm for a free consultation. Luke believes strongly in what he does, he is good at it, and he enjoys it. He also treats his clients with respect.  He returns phone calls and keeps appointments.
  • Criminal Defense // Most Misdemeanors and Felonies
  • DUI & DWI // NHTSA Certified in Field Sobriety Testing
  • CDS Charges // Including Marijuana, and Schedules I, II, III, & IV
  • Assault & Battery
  • White Collar Crimes