is my lawyer trustworthy? He was DA for 15 years, now a defense attny. I think he may be too "connected"

Question

He knows everyone on the prosecution side. I sometimes wonder if he is being less aggressive than possible with my defense simply because he doesn't want to piss off his old friends... I want to believe that he is doing all he can for the huge $ he is making, but I don't want to be naive either

Answer 1

Connected is good. Connected makes a lawyer effective.

And it's not uncommon for former prosecutors to become defense lawyers. I know several who have done that. Their former understanding of the prosecutor role and their knowledge of the individuals still on the other side makes them better able to evaluate and strategize.

Lawyers owe a duty of loyalty to their current client, and must act in their best interests. That's an inherent part of the profession.

While there are lawyers who violate that duty, doing so is grounds for disbarment. And very few lawyers would ever have enough sentimental feelings for working as a govt employee that they would throw away their career because they have friends who are prosecutors.

Getting along with other lawyers makes the entire process easier, and especially in small communities, it's not uncommon for people in the prosecutors office to be friends with defense attorneys and vice versa. That doesn't automatically (or even usually) impair their professional judgment. It just makes them better able to do their job.

Answer 2

No, it is the opposite. He won't violate his ethical duty to you just because he is friends with the prosecution. If anything, he can work this to his advantage by getting a deal. He doesn't care about angering his friends, attorneys realize that each client must be zealously represented and don't take their friends' or colleagues' legal positions personally. He is also very experienced and likely to know the law a lot better because of it. This is a very common practice among prosecutors and nothing to fear.