From the moment I first spoke with Andrew Cornick during my consultation, I could tell I was dealing with someone different. He was professional, confident, intelligent, and direct. More importantly, I immediately had the feeling that he was actually listening to me and that, if I put my trust in him, he was going to have my back.
That meant more to me than I can adequately put into words.
From the beginning of my case, I felt as though I had already been judged before anyone had truly taken the time to hear my side. Between my interactions with law enforcement, the magistrate, and eventually the prosecution, it was incredibly difficult not to feel like the system had already decided who I was and what had happened before I ever had a meaningful opportunity to defend myself.
Andrew changed that.
He stepped into an extremely stressful situation and immediately gave me confidence that someone was finally standing beside me and was prepared to fight for me. He never made promises he could not guarantee, and he never tried to tell me simply what I wanted to hear. He approached my case like a professional, explained what was happening, and made sure I understood the decisions in front of me.
The prosecution offered me an agreement that would have required six months of alcohol and anger management classes in exchange for ultimately dismissing the charge. I understand that many people facing a criminal charge might consider an offer like that a blessing simply because it provides a path to dismissal without taking the risk of going forward.
For me, however, accepting it would have meant agreeing to conditions for something I maintained from the beginning that I did not do. This became about more than simply making the case disappear. It was about standing by my principles and defending myself against an accusation I believed was wrong.
I told Andrew I could not accept the offer.
There was no pressure from him to take the easier path. There was no frustration because I was unwilling to accept the deal. Andrew walked right back into that courtroom prepared to fight for me.
That moment is something I will never forget.
When you are sitting in a courtroom and feel as though nearly everyone involved in the process is standing on the other side, having an attorney beside you who is composed, prepared, confident, and willing to advocate for you is an incredible feeling. Andrew was exactly that person for me.
Ultimately, I was found not guilty, and the domestic assault charge against me was dismissed.
After approximately six months of living with this hanging over my head, I finally walked out of that courtroom knowing it was over. I could move forward with my life.
There was also something much more personal waiting for me on the other side of all of this. I had promised my daughter during her kindergarten graduation that I would take her to Disneyland. Because of everything surrounding this case, including being unable to leave the state, that promise had to wait.
Now I finally get to keep it.
Andrew, thank you. Thank you for listening to me when I felt like nobody else would. Thank you for treating me with dignity, for respecting the position I took, and for being willing to stand beside me when I refused to compromise on something that mattered deeply to me. Most of all, thank you for walking back into that courtroom ready to fight for me when I needed someone in my corner.
I hope I never find myself in a situation like this again, but if I ever needed an attorney, I would want Andrew Cornick standing beside me.
Strong, confident, intelligent, professional, and an advocate when it mattered most. I cannot thank him enough. read more
