“My son was fifteen and terrified. Tarun talked to him like a person, not a file, and made sure I understood every hearing before we walked in.”
Inez R.Parent, juvenile case
Criminal defense in Albuquerque
Accused? Make them prove it.
A charge is the government's side of the story, nothing more. I'm Tarun Sethi, and I test every piece of it: the stop, the search, the statement, the lab report. You hear what I find the day I find it.
- First meeting freeThirty minutes, at the office or by phone
- Open Saturdays9 to 1, by appointment
- One flat fee, in writingQuoted before you sign anything
- Payment plansSpread across the life of the case
The flat fee pays for my work through the stage named in our agreement. Court costs, fines, bond, expert witnesses and transcripts are separate, and I'll tell you at the start which ones your case is likely to need.
What I take
Find your charge, then read what comes next
I keep the practice to three kinds of case so I know the courtrooms, the prosecutors and the paperwork. No DUI or traffic cases: call anyway, and I'll give you names of lawyers who take them.
Juvenile cases
Fights and threats at school, shoplifting, vandalism, drugs, a joyride. Anything that sends a kid to children's court, with the parents in the room.
Read about juvenile casesFederal charges
Drug, gun and fraud charges brought by federal agents, from the first appearance before a magistrate judge to sentencing.
Read about federal chargesTheft and property charges
Shoplifting, money missing from an employer, stolen property, burglary, and bad checks or someone else's card.
Read about theft charges
Who you're hiring
I read the police report like a juror who doesn't buy it
Every case here starts the same way. I get the reports, the body-camera video and the lab work, and I go through them line by line, looking for the gap between what happened and what someone wrote down.
Then we sit at a table, not on a speakerphone, and I show you that gap. Sometimes it's a search that shouldn't have happened, or a witness whose story moved. Sometimes there isn't one, and I'll say so plainly, so the choices you make are yours.
Tonight
Four things to do before we sit down
The first days after a charge are when people hurt their own case without meaning to.
Say nothing about the case
Not to the officer, not on a jail phone, not in a text to a friend. All of it can be recorded and read out later.
Write down what happened
While it's fresh: times, places, who was there, what was said. Keep it to yourself and bring it to our meeting.
Find the paperwork
The citation, bond papers, release conditions and any property receipt. The court date is usually on one of them.
Keep every court date
Missing one can mean a warrant. If you can't make it, call me before the day, not after.
From clients
Heard on the way out of the courthouse
“The agents had boxes of paper on me. He read every page, found the two that mattered, and for the first time I understood what I was up against.”
Benedikt H.Federal fraud charge
“I was charged over a register that came up short at the store where I worked. He met me on a Saturday so I didn't have to lose a shift.”
Pilar G.Theft charge
Each client's case is different. These comments describe what working with Tarun was like, not a promise about how your case will end.
Questions
What people ask in the first ten minutes
Should I talk to the police and explain my side?
Not before you've talked to a lawyer. You can say, politely, that you won't answer questions without one, and then stop talking. Explaining rarely helps, and it's often quoted back later.
Can you promise my case will be dismissed?
No honest lawyer can promise that at the start. What I can promise is to find out whether the evidence holds up, and to tell you plainly what I think your options are.
What does the flat fee cover?
My work through the stage written in the agreement, usually everything up to trial, with trial priced separately. I quote yours at the first meeting, based on the charge and how far it has to go. Court costs, fines, bond and experts are separate.
My child was picked up. Can I come to the meetings?
Yes. Parents and guardians are welcome at every meeting. There are a few things I'll need to hear from your child alone, and I'll explain why before we start.
Can we meet on a weekend?
Saturdays from 9 to 1 at the office, by appointment. Weekday evenings can be arranged too.
They already have a file on you. Start yours.
Call, or send a note with the charge and the court date. The first meeting is free, and you'll leave it knowing what happens next.