Michael G.
Crook
I was referred to Malik Drake via reference. I’ll take full responsibility for not doing the due diligence of researching his capabilities before I retained him. I needed an criminal defense lawyer & I rushed to hire him. He did not make me feel comfortable throughout the entire process even telling me “This is not Law and Order” which was one of his responses via which prompted me to hire a new attorney. He communicated via text message 95% of the time. He continued my case for two months using my continuance to go on a vacation for a month without properly preparing me for trial. I had to push for us to go on the same page. When I told him I wasn’t prepared for trial due to my workload situation. He merely brushed it off and said if you don’t like the plea agreement, then we can get another continuance. I in turn asked why was it continued for 2 months he mentioned so he could prepare but he merely went on vacation and did not prepare or communicate to me. Today he presented a doctored bill reflecting 11k for something I paid in full 5k, on the very day I hired him trying to reflect no refund is warranted. The day he withdrew from my case I asked about a refund I was thinking from $500-1k maybe if he’s feeling generous. His statement via text was under the circumstances I shouldn’t receive one. I asked why and he tried to clean up his response. I will be presenting a complaint form about his actions to the bar for possible disciplinary actions. I can’t find no criminal cases he presided over. He is a civil litigation, intellectual property, lawyer not a criminal defense lawyer. He was very rude and confrontational the entire time. Due to him only communicating via text message I have a hefty amount of threads to present in my complaint. Do not hire this attorney for any criminal matter. This is the worst experience dealing with an lawyer I ever had. For someone to have practice 20 years of law and only have 5 reviews I believe he’s an supporting attorney for the law firm he is with. I will find other platforms to spread the word. Do not hire this attorney. I uploaded the document he sent me today, reflecting something very serious, in the thread he told me there was 12 to 14hrs of police video. He communicated he would not review all the video but told me I can come sit in his office and watch them, he charged me for only 4.5 hrs of video. I told him I cannot take a plea deal without viewing evidence against me. He responded he never had a client want to review police video. How can you properly defend someone without reviewing all the evidence. Maybe something bias was said amongst officers or a procedural mishandling that could find me innocent. Malik Drake is a Crook, do not hire him for anything he will not review all the information and go on vacation with your dime.