If you ever consider doing business with this gentleman - do yourself a huge favor and consider my experience first. He's definitely one to avoid at all costs. He's as perfidious as he is incompetent. If only Ihad known.
I'll admit: I've never had a need for a criminal defense attorney beforeand maybe I was a little naive in navigating these foreign waters. But the least I expected was a modicum of integrity, competence and follow-through from my legal counsel.
Well, I learned the hard way - and if the only thing I can do at this point is to warn others from dropping their hard earned cash on this morally bankrupt lawyer then I suppose a dose of good karma awaits. My retainer is now your fair warning!
Here's the part that really stings: Mr Hertz came recommended from someone whom I considered a trusted friend of several years. Needless to say, that's one person no longer on my family Christmas card list.
If you don't mind being represented by an attorney that shows up to yourcourt date 90 minutes late (and acts like it's no big deal) then hire Hertz. If having your legal counsel address the court/judge in a meek voice backed with a less than confident demeanor - Hertz is your man.
He's prickly and thin-skinned too; When I mentioned he was less than responsive to my texts and phone calls, he got defensive and suggested that I save my energy for my case and "not criticizing your lawyer". That was comforting.
I could have dismissed him early on. I should have listened to my gut after our initial 25 minute phone conversation. (By the way, does this guy even have an office? On the rare occasion he does take your call, there always seems to be a screaming kid in the background).
But I didn't. I trusted him initially despite the "on-the-rocks" aura about him. What I didn't expect is for Mr. Hertz to have such a jaundiced view of his own profession.
When at last I realized Messrs Hertz was not going to be effective in any sense when it came to the merits of my case and fired him, he refused to give me an accounting of his hours for weeks and weeks. But the truly sleazy part is when that "accounting" finally did arrive: it was so laughably exaggerated and blatantly dishonest, it spurred me to action to go after him and suffer the consequences of his treachery.
But that's a whole different chapter, one that I suggest you avoid by staying miles away from this flagrantly dishonest person.
Little wonder Shakespeare had it right from the get-go.
(note: Steven Hertz claims to be a Christian in his advertising and evenquotes scripture on his website! Steven Hertz truly is a caricature of the shady lawyer. Consider yourself duly warned.)
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