I hired Michael Gottlieb to represent me on a case that involved audio evidence tampering and attorney intimidation.

In my first meeting with Michael I showed him a preliminary Audio Forensic report that showed irregularities in the audio evidence. I then explained that the two attorneys I currently had refused to allow me to hire the Forensic Expert to produce the full report. I told Michael that I was on the phone with one of my attorneys when the prosecutor called him to threaten him with loss of access to the Broward County Prosecutors office if he continued to ask questions about actions the prosecutor took in my case.

Michael said he witnessed a lot of unethical and illegal activity by Broward prosecutors and would not be intimidated. I hired Michael and told him I needed him to handle the audio file.

He did nothing. He ignored all my requests, verbally and in writing, to hire the forensic specialist.

Seven months later I hired the audio forensic specialist that did the preliminary report without him. After the report was completed I had a copy sent to Michael and requested a conference call with the Forensic Specialist. The report highlighted many issues which would have invalidated the evidence and included a audio sample in which demonstrated the “recording stops and restarts”. It was very obvious that portions of the conversation were missing.

Michael listened to the forensic specialist and then concluded there was nothing he could do with the information. He complained about the quality of the forensic specialist; so, I hired a second forensic specialist.

The second forensic specialist concluded “I have found several anomalies interrupting audio recording, this could have very well led to some conversation as not being recorded or likely removed through dub editing.” Michael refused to speak to this second forensic specialist.

I fired Michael for refusing to defend me. One week after replacing Michael with a new attorney I received a text from the new attorney informing me that Michael Gottlieb just warned him to “stay away from the audio, because the prosecutor is angry that I am talking about it.”

Fast forward, without Michael Gottlieb, a motion was filed and a judge threw out the recorded evidence after the same forensic expert that Michael complained about, demonstrated that 15 seconds of conversation were missing and portions of remaining conversations were now blank. The prosecutor was so impressed my forensic expert that he asked for his business card and said that he would use him in the future.

The judge then dismissed the felony charge. He then gave me a withheld of adjudication on the misdemeanor. No jail, no probation, and a sealed record.

If I did not hire additional attorneys to do Michael Gottlieb’s job, there would have been no Forensic report, and I would have eventually been forced to accept a plea deal which would have resulted in a felony conviction.

I hired Mike in March 2015 to represent me on a false felony charge from 2013. After hearing my case, he told me, "I can get your case dismissed". My family hired him while I sat it out in jail unable to bond out. Last year, Mike kept his promise and I was freed on the 4th of July. Mike is a great guy, great friend, and a great lawyer!