Kapsack & Bair – DUI Lawyers

I am a little late in writing this review as I meant to do this right after the case ended but life managed to get in the way. Unfortunately someone close to me got picked up for a DUI in Santa Clara County (definitely not one of the best places to have this happen) and she needed help in fighting a borderline case. DUIs are probably one of the most hardest offenses to win and one of the easiest to get. They are costly and painful and require immediate attention due to the DMV actions that start the day you get it. I did my homework well and came up with a short list of several attorneys which I coupled with a personal reference. Always look for a personal reference as all attorneys are not created equal. We settled on Hudson Bair. I have experience with a fair amount of attorneys so I knew what to look for but you probably wont see most of that till its too late. I called his office to set up a consultation and faxed in what was required. They were surprised that my fax got through and they then told me that if you need to fax something to them, please call ahead so they can turn the machine on as they don’t normally leave it that way. Say what!?! I got lucky as they were previously expecting something. Ok, that told me right there that this guy is good. Appears some DAs will fax important docs that they are required to but wait till you are on your way court. IE: dirty trick, thus fulfilling the requirement but likely to impede his ability to defend properly. Morale of the story, if he’s not very good then they wouldn’t need to resort to such tactics. However he is a force to be reckoned with and that he is. He is expensive but reasonable. He answers calls and provides critical advice without having to ask for it over and over again. He stays with you till the end and is never unreachable. Best of all, he wins. DUIs are extremely hard to beat and likely the best that you can hope for is a reduction and that was what we got despite all odds against us. I highly recommend this man.

I would not hire Mr. Kapsack again and fortunately, I don’t plan to get myself into the same kind of trouble ever again. I spent top dollar, over $ 5K instead of the average $ 1500-​$ 2K, because I had a case that should have been won/​dismissed and it was worth it to me to have my record cleared. There was no probable cause for pulling me over, I provided pictures of the scene, I had a witness, I provided clear evidence and basically provided all the details needed for my defense. Kapsack did nothing except file the routine paperwork as needed. Kapsack didn’t brief my witness before he took the stand and his questioning was ad hoc and made up on the spot. My witness rambled. Kapsack showed up to court with 5 minutes to spare and knew basically nothing about my case. I had to quickly remind him of the defense even after I requested that we meet early to strategize or at least discuss expectations prior to our court time. I had sent him a powerpoint presentation and instead of making it court-​ready, he projected my exact submission to him, my lawyer, without any edits, which angered the Judge because I, as a laymen not knowing court protocol, had more information in the slides than the court liked. My case we delayed, and delayed, and delayed for reasons that Kapsack’s office had said was due to the court not being available or rescheduling. I heard during my appearance directly from the Judge that it was Kapsack that was doing all the rescheduling and canceling. My case was in Tahoe and when I met Kapsack for the first time in person, his car was filled with snow play equipment. Draw your own conclusion. Mine was that he took Tahoe cases so that he could write-​off ski vacations and make a one hour court appearance a weekend getaway. Not once was I proactively notified of next steps or what I should expect. I went 8 months without hearing anything from the office. Paperwork was lost or not filed or not acknowledged by the county. I was only updated when I called in or sent email and even then was given very little information. Kapsack was dismissive to me on many occasions belittling, condescending, and showed little, if any, compassion. The guy who handled the DMV portion was very kind and took the time to explain the DMV process to me. I wish I remembered his name, because I’d recommend him, but no one else in that office from the receptionist, to the legal assistant, to the lawyers. It’s a terrible situation to be in in the first place, it’s made worse when you pay out large sums of money for very poor representation. In total, will have been a 4 year nightmare, made a year longer due to the neglect of this office. It should have been dismissed had my lawyer done his job. Stay away.

Today is the best day of my life because of this law firm.
Hudson Bair (my lawyer specifically) got my DUI case dismissed!!!
I wasn’t sure at first whether to hire this law firm because they seemed a little pricey. However, after contacting them and discussing things with their very accomodating staff and having a brief interview with Hudson Bair, I felt reassured that this law firm would give me the best chance to fight my DUI. This law firm specializes in DUI cases only, therefore they have more resources and more research dedicated to their work than other law firms having multiple specialties.
I called many other law firms in the bay area and none of them reassured me as much as Kapsack & Bair. Their assitant Heidi, knew what she was talking about and was able to justify their prices vs cheaper law firms. Their lawyers are very experienced in DUI cases and know every angle to argue. Their website was also very informative and professional which was what first caught my eye.
I always felt confident that they were staying on top of my case and weren’t focusing on other cases more than mine. I would get updates on my case from Hudson after every court date as well as calls from him letting me know how he was proceeding with it. I DIDN’T EVEN HAVE TO GO TO A SINGLE COURT APPOINTMENT.
I realize now that legal matters are not where one should try to save money. You have one shot to fight a DUI and the law offices of Kapsack & Bair got me out of mine.
Thank you very much Mr. Hudson Bair.