Unless you are explicitly guilty of a misdemeanor or a felony--and have been caught on camera…read morecommitting an egregious act - like shitting in an officers mouth, do not waste your money here.
To be brutally honest, I was a rowdy, reckless teenager. My privilege and naivety led my parents to buy into the false promise that paying exorbitant fees would guarantee first-class service and an immediate dismissal. My ordeal began when I was 23. An uneducated LAPD officer insulted my weight, accusing me of being on heroin. Outraged, I reacted defensively. In reality, I was just a young woman from Beverly Hills dealing with severe dehydration and low blood pressure from strict dieting.
Because I was oblivious to how dangerous police altercations can be, I talked back. When officers saw my VIP Coachella wristbands, they refused to believe I was completely sober. They forced me to use a breathalyzer until I nearly passed out, arbitrarily concluding I must be under the influence of drugs. After subjecting me to ridiculous field sobriety exercises--forcing me to stare into the blazing sun for over 45 seconds without blinking--they arrested me.
Because I complained about taking off my expensive, clunky shoes, they bound my hands and feet. As I hopped into the police car, my shoe accidentally grazed the arresting officer. He retaliated by tacking on a felony assault charge. As this was our family's first encounter with the legal system, the attorney, Kraut, took full advantage of our panic. He brought my mother to tears, terrifying my parents into believing that if they didn't immediately wire $45,000 or pay via an interest-free credit card, I would face horrific abuse in prison for months.
Although my blood and breath tests ultimately came back entirely negative, Kraut did not believe me due to my defensive behavior. Instead of fighting, he pushed me to plead guilty to a "wet reckless" charge. Because DUI programs require medical records, Kraut framed my case around an eating disorder, claiming I had lost self-control due to malnutrition.
For a year, I endured shouting from Kraut and demeaning emails from his assistant. He eventually demanded a speakerphone call with my entire family just to boast about resolving an "impossible case" and saving me from prison. To this day, I still have a criminal record because Kraut demanded an additional $35,000 just to seal the case and file the dismissal paperwork with the Department of Justice.
The moral of the story: his routine is incredibly transparent. He acts like a fraternity cliché, taking clients into his fancy office to brag about political dinners with the Vice President. Pulling out his phone to show off a photo of his child with Kamala Harris on a rare day he actually decides to come into the office does not make him a competent lawyer. I remember him bringing up the cost of my car and clothing just to put me down--yet he wouldn't have jumped to take my case if he hadn't known we had money. Do not fall for the storefront.
Furthermore, he did not even go to Harvard Law School. If you call the university, they have absolutely no record of him; public records show he only took a few classes over two semesters at their extension campus.
There are plenty of highly qualified, younger criminal defense attorneys available online. You can find them simply by submitting inquiries. You will know who the good ones are based on who requests your rap sheet and provides an immediate, transparent estimate during a polite, non-threatening phone call. You deserve to feel protected, supported, and heard--not frightened and berated. I am not sorry for exposing you, Michael. The rates you charge are what a elite "fixer" earns, but you do not fix anything.