I gave Martin D. Hastings $10K to represent me after a drug arrest by the Feds. Hastings was to work on getting me released from Federal Detention (different process than simply making bail on state charges). Hastings wanted $20K total. I was fortunate enough to only give him half.
Hastings NEVER ONCE went to see me. He NEVER ONCE SPOKE with me on the phone. (Hastings doesn't accept toll calls from a jail.)
I had to get a friend to ask him when he was coming to see me and he kept telling her, "Oh, I will this week." When she asked about getting me released, Hastings FLAT OUT LIED and said "We have to wait until we get all the evidence, " and "We have to make sure all our T's are crossed and our I's dotted." Total BULLSHIT! (Getting someone released from Fed Detention has nothing to do with the evidence.)
After 3 months, I fired him because he wasn't doing anything. I had to get a friend to get the evidence to give to me because Hastings refused to even mail it to me!
AFTER he was fired, Hastings then quickly filed a motion for detention review, which failed because, among other things it was THREE MONTHS TOO LATE. He did it so he could appear to have been working on the case when he really wasn't.
After being fired, Hastings would NOT withdraw even after I hired another attorney. Hastings is still laughably listed as "lead attorney" in the case on the official paperwork. He finally withdrew a year after he'd been fired.
I've since learned that although he is allowed to practice in Federal Court, Hastings has no real experience handling complex Fed drug cases.
Hastings has not given me one dime back of my money even though by law he is supposed to present me with an itemized bill accounting for his expenses. Retainers are meant to cover future expenses. Basically, Hastings embezzled my money.
The State Bar is worthless in situations like these. They don't ever acknowledge wrong-doing on the part of one of their shyster, scumbag attorneys.
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