Mr. Hinkley goes above and beyond...
I had a case that had been going on since June 12, 2019. It was a pretty hefty charge. Possession with intent to distribute. I had the same attorney since the beginning of my case until a couple of weeks ago. It's a long story, and I won't give all details,
but I was arrested on June 8, 2021 at around 6:30 pm. I had a warrant for violation of probation. I spent the night in Pittsfield Police Dept in their tiny jail cell. Then court the next morning. When the court officer came and got me from the holding cell to go to the room where you talk to your attorney I wasn't expecting to see Michael Hinckley sitting there. He explained that my former attorney was no longer a public defender. He asked me to tell him everything I could about my case from when I was arrested. He listened and took notes. He got me released and I was given another court date. On the day I was supposed to go to court again he texted me several times throughout the day and it was decided that I not go that day. He was talking with the DA's office as well as my probation officer. My probation officer wanted me to start the CCC program over from scratch or attend another one that was pretty much the same thing. I told him that I had completed CCC's literature, especially the main one, the MRT book, and I'd presented my aftercare plan last July. I needed was my certificate. 2 and a half Months later they kept giving me the run around so I basically went ghost for like 9 months. Well he had told me to go to court on June 15th at 11 am. I arrived before he did. I also noticed the judge wasn't the one we were expecting. When he got there we sat in the hallway and discussed some things about my case and then he asked why I still seemed nervous. I told him because of the judge that was on today. He asked me "Do you not want to go before this judge?" I answered not really. He said okay come back tomorrow. When I returned the next day it was still the same judge. I decided to take my chances. When they called my name the DA read the report the officer wrote the night I got arrested in 2019. Probation wanted me to do 90 more days of probation with random urine screens, and to attend the D.A.E. program (which is the same thing as CCC like I said. CCC stands for community corrections center). Mr. Hinckley had already discussed this with the DA's office and he explained to the judge everything I had accomplished that probation required me to do and what I had taken it upon myself to do in order to better myself and completed. Then he said based on everything she accomplished your honor I move for dismissal. The judge asked the DA if she agreed with this. She said she did. And the judge said very well, this case will continue until 4 o'clock this afternoon then it will be dismissed and it will not be on my record. It will be as if it never happened. This attorney actually fought for me. He listened to me and what I wanted. He didn't just listen to probation and what they wanted me to do. He actually defended me. When it was all over with I hugged him, not once but twice. And I cried. I did NOT expect that to happen that day. It was supposed to happen eventually, but I wasn't expecting it when it happened. This attorney is the best public defender I've had the privilege of meeting and working with. I highly recommend him. He's amazing.
