Really knowledgeable and professional. Gave us all the knowledge we needed to figure out how to pursue our situation. Would definitely recommend!!!

Hear their great they never call me back

Troy Pickard of Portland Defender is a diamond in the rough. He has a remarkable ability to restore calm with his depth of knowledge of the law and compassionate approach. He is an invaluable asset to the community with his professionalism and refreshing affability. Will recommend always.

Troy (Portland Defender) came highly recommend by the office of one of Portland's City Commissioners and I found his legal services to be invaluable. His communication was prompt, his guidance easy to understand, and, perhaps most importantly, his demeanor was both professional and compassionate. I hope no one finds themselves in a dispute with a bad (or law-breaking) landlord, but, if you do, Troy is a top-notch attorney and an invaluable resource to our area's tenants.

Helped me with a legal problem I didn't know exactly how to handle

I felt positive about their service until Troy stopped contacting me. Clients should be able to expect timely service without having to check in all the time, if I was going to self-file I wouldn't have called the firm to begin with.

Troy is rad and shows no signs of slowing down his radness. He called us back quickly at a time when nobody else would. We live in a rural area where there are no attorneys for people in our situation. He met with us within hours and left us feeling ready to tackle our issue. Today, due to Troy's legal advice we won our case and will be able to stay in our home for the bitter cold season. Oh also were getting back all the money we paid in legal fees since we won. Troy is worth his weight in gold. If you're unsure if troy is your guy, don't be, you won't regret hiring him today.

We met with Troy with a very unique situation he set us at ease and offered a solution to our problem. We would highly recommend anyone with any landlord or tenant problems to call and make an appointment and meet with Troy. It was a pleasure meeting and talking with him. He listened to our issues and came up with a great solution that both sides were happy with. Troy Thank you for everything. If we could give 10 stars we would you earned them.

My boyfriend and I were in a very bad car accident back in May, we contacted Troy’s office for consultation in June, we followed all his legal advice and steps (prior to leaving my first review) however after we completed our demand letters and reached out to him for representation he left us high and dry and has not responded or communicated back with us since 7/21. As if he changed his mind on representing us. We have no clue what happened to him and had to start all over on finding an attorney. Very unprofessional I only have one star because the review wouldn’t post if i didn’t give it any.

It is HARD for me to put words of praises and gratitude to Troy for his GREAT job, because it will not be enough to show his dedication and brilliant service.
I have been fighting for over 4 months, with the rental agency RPM (please please stay away from this agency, they’re simply the WORST) and the house owner for my deposit, which they refused to give back, and wanted more money from me. They involved even a collection agency to terrorize me. LO and Behold, Troy comes in and almost all of my security deposit is in my bank account and no more collection agency contacts.
Some people are evil by nature and I thank GOD there is still the Troy kind on earth to reclaim Justice.

BIG THANK YOU TROY!!!!!!!!!!!

I was given Troy Pickards name as a referral. I found him to be wonderfully responsive to my calls and e-mails. He won the case for me and alleviated a great deal of undue stress. As a sixth generation Oregonian and a Notary Public I highly recommend him and his firm.

Amanda Furre

Very very very helpful. Thanks a lot Troy. If you need help on a situation he’s the one you need :)

Troy was fabulous! He consulted with me over the phone first to determine if I had a case. Then we met up within two hours of our conversation and let us know exactly how we should proceed.
He helped me and 4 roommates who where in a terrible situation with a landlord who did not give us sufficient notice, tried to pass off a monthly lease as a week to week lease to avoid Relocation assistance payments and chose us because he didn’t think we would fight back and we are “nice”. He almost got away with it except I would not let it go. I researched the law to see exactly what it was and how it was enforced. Then I found Troy who not only told us things we found out but things we had not known. Within 24 hours of speaking to Troy a demand letter was sent out to our landlord for payment.

Thank You so much Troy for your time and assistance today. You’re an awesome human being.
If you have any issues, call Troy right away! He will let you know what to do. He’s extremely nice, forthright and honest, as well as reasonably priced.

I highly recommend Troy Pickard! He was very responsive, understood our issues, and the law around them completely. He thoroughly explained our options, and executed our strategy swiftly and professionally. I don't know what we would have done without him!

Took my retainer, then never heard from him again. Sad. Flake. Probably created several email accounts and gave himself good to great reviews. Seriously, "Diamond in the ruff...?"

My experience with Troy was phenomenal! He was professional and understanding. He got exactly what I needed done; done.. without any hesitation. He was responsive quickly and always communicated well. I would highly recommend Troy and I know if there’s anything in the future I need help with that he can help me with, he’s my guy!

After reading his reviews I thought he would be a great Attorney to help us with our eviction issue. Troy met with my husband and I charging us $300.00 dollars for about 45min conversation. He seemed overly tired yawning the whole meeting. After our meeting I tried emailing him and leaving his office messages about further assistance. Basically Troy made 300.00 for nothing. I would steer clear of this attorney as he seems really nice and then drops all communication. If he didn’t want to help us he should at least respectfully respond not just avoid contact.

Troy is one of those rare gems that seem too good to be true until you meet him in person. I had an issue with a landlord last spring. I sent an e-mail and he gave advice over e-mail free of charge. Later, when things escalted, I booked an appointment, we met, and although he couldn't do anything about that particular situation (grey zone, nothing to be done), he was the most humane lawyer I've ever met. He actually talks to you like you're a friend, someone he knows, instead of mindless client. And since then, he has been more than willing to help with brief questions concerning the next landlord (there are lots of bad landlords in Portland right now) and he's never asked for a penny. I don't like abusing people's generosity, but I also know that good people don't count every penny, and Troy is one of them. He is lawyer because he wants to help people. And that's the only kind of lawyer anyone should hire. Five stars doesn't do him enough credit. It should be ten.

Great attorney. He helped us with our landlord issue and the whole process was painless and quick. I highly recommend Troy. He really went the extra mile for us. If by some unfortunate circumstance we are faced with another landlord whom thinks that the law does not apply to them, we are definitely calling Portland Defender again.

Thanks again Troy for all your help !! 5 stars isnt enough!!

My wife and I had a great experience with Troy after running into a situation with our landlord. He was incredibly knowledgeable about applicable laws and his counsel lead us to a positive resolution.

Hands down, the BEST! Used him many times, Troy is knowledgeable, professional to the point and knows advice in every situation!

Troy is wonderful! He was quick to respond to my questions and gave thorough and easily understood legal advice that allowed us to resolve our landlord/tenant issues smoothly. I would highly recommend Portland Defender!

Troy is a great lawyer. Knowledgeable and kind. Thats a rare find in the industry. His rate isn't ridiculous, he gets straight to the point and helps where he can. Its not about winning a case for us, its about understanding our rights and where we stand within the law. If you are in doubt when it comes to issues between landlord and tenant, contact Troy!

EXTREMELY DON'T RECOMMEND. I don't trust any of positive reviews.
UPD 2: This person told me, that we're "hopeless" and "nothing he can do". Very next lawyer completely resolved my problem and found multiple violations in landlord's actions.
My believing is that "Portland defender " is either working FOR LANDLORDS to discourage tenants from defending their rights, either not lawyer at all, like paralegal, either not of very good qualification.
In my case, all he needed to do to help was calculate simple numbers and read lease, written in English. He failed:)

We found Troy on Google and are so glad we did. Troy addressed our needs and provided advice during an initial consult session. Extremely knowledgable of landlord / tenant law, Troy provided us with several strategies and options that ended up proving successful for us.

Troy was very thorough, attentive and patient while helping me through my landlord issues. The outcome was positive and I'll be referring EVERYONE I KNOW that needs this kind of assistance, his way!! Thank you Troy!

Troy and Kashia we're both very helpful in getting me through my sudden eviction trial earlier this week. Since I have little experience dealing with legal matters and it being such short notice, they were able to look over my case that same day and offer me a fool proof memorandum to use for my trial the very next day. The judge ended up ruling in my favor thanks to Troy's expertise and thorough knowledge of tenant/landlord law, as well as his excellent team there at Portland Defender. Thank you so much for your help Troy and Kashia! I highly recommend your firm to all my friends and family!!

Portland Defender, Troy, came recommended from a close friend. And I was glad I picked Troy to defend myself against my landlord. Troy did his due diligence and defended me really well.

I would definitely recommend Troy for any tenant law related case.

I connected with Troy via the Community Alliance of Tenants (also amazing) when I rented an apartment through a property mgmt. co. I have not rented in many years and thought going with a property mgmt. company was a safer choice. It became clear within a few months that my new landlord had broken our lease and the utility codes but was talking in circles as I tried earnestly to negotiate a resolution for over 6 months. Within 30 min. of meeting with me, Troy he saw through the stalling tactics of the property mgmt. company, guided me through pushing them to resolution, and ultimately won me a settlement. He was calm, professional, and fair. Highly recommend!

I was in a very bad situation when I met Troy, and he was the voice of reason at this turbulent time. I didn't know that I could get legal help, and not only did he win, but he offered a lot of crucial advice and information to me that I'll be able to use for life. He is a trustworthy and professional person. Definitely remember that it's ok to seek help even if you're not sure if you will get results. He's ethical and will keep your interests at the forefront.

Super nice guy! Quick over the phone consultation was really smooth! Thank you!

I had several issues with bad landlord. Troy took my complaints, researched the latest in landlord-tenant laws, and not only forced the landlord into compliance, but made him write a big check to me for my damages. I recommend Troy, hands down, for all your legal needs.

Troy knocked it out of the park. We got out of a moldy house with refund of our security deposit. We provided him all the details and then he managed the process from there. Thanks!

I highly recommend Portland Defender.

Troy provided me peace of mind, when working with him a couple of years ago. I had found myself in a very terrible, darn right awful, nightmare situation with a landlord. The law was clearly broken in this situation and Troy came to the rescue in providing me with a very clear action plan. I was able to remove myself from the situation and also win, in litigation.

I came to Troy after my ex-landlord attempted to keep my security deposit over damages that were done to the home when I moved in. I even had a contracter come out during my tenancy and give an estimate to repair said damages and the landlord never fixed these issues. Troy was very kind and supportive from my very first phone call to him.

Troy worked very quickly and was able to not only obtain my security deposit, he achecived this without having to go to court, something I was very willing to do. I moved out of state from Oregon and was scared I would have to fly back up to testify or be present for part of this case but Troy handled everything smoothly and without my presence. I would greatly recommend Troy to anyone needing help to resolve a landlord dispute as he is the best in Oregon.

Signed,

Very happy client
Teresa :)

Needed a piece of real estate advise. Troy was very kind and answered all of my questions over the phone no charge. He seemed to really want to help and did not expect or want any sort of payment. His advice was also very sound. If I ever need a real estate lawyer for real Troy will be our man!

This is the first time I've contacted a lawyer for personal reasons. It was a perfectly successful encounter. I was being drastically overcharged by my former property management company regarding mold damage (their fault). For $300 Troy communicated directly with the property management company and resolved the case in my favor. I wish that there wasn't a need to hold property management companies accountable, but in the current rental market there are so few protections afforded to renters and even less access to information regarding what protections there are. I really weighed if it was worth hiring a lawyer in my situation and it very much was. If you are a renter and want to consult or hire legal aid I would highly recommend giving Portland Defender's a call.

Troy was recommended to my by a co-worker and I couldn't be more grateful. He helped me assess and pursue a tenant/landlord issue during a stressful time. He was timely in his communication , provided excellent legal advice and simplified complex information so that I was able to make the best decision in my situation. I highly recommend Troy if believe your tenant rights are being violated. His consultation and legal assistance were worthy every penny.

This guy is the real deal! He helped us with our scummy landlord. He literally only charged us like 300 dollars for a consultation AND writing them a letter. His letter was effective and gave us exactly what we wanted without having to go to court. He is extremely ethical and wonderful to work with. If I ever have issues with a landlord or criminal issues *lets hope not* he will be my go to guy!

My experience with Troy and his assistance Kashia was excellent! They knew exactly what to do when my landlord did not want to return my deposit. They were both very professional and pleasant to deal with. The issue was taken care of in a very short amount of time. I would definitely recommend Troy Pickard to friends and family. Thanks for your help with this issue.

Very helpful worth the money!

It was a blessing to meet and work with him. Well worth the money...i never thought i would use those words when it comes to an attorney. However, it applies here. I would recommend him to anyone. He took the edge off and made me more comfortable.

With our relocation fee case, Troy offered the utmost professionalism from start to finish. Troy was responsive via both email and phone during the week and weekends to answer questions and walk though scenarios. If you are looking for an attorney to represent you in a Landlord/Tenant claim, Troy is your guy. If you are looking for representation that will make sure that you have all of the facts before making a final decision, Troy is your guy. I would recommend Troy to others in a similar situation as ours.

We hired Troy to help us with a landlord who didn't understand house rental laws. Troy was very professional and thorough with his research. It's a horrible situation when a landlord treats tenants unlawfully. He got right on the case and finished it quickly. He was very easy to talk to and we would recommend him to anyone who has issues with their landlord and needs help. Many thanks Troy.

** I was Threatened by Troy after posting this review I had a horrible experience with this attorney and this is my opinion of his service and what happened to me dealing with him, i have wittnesses to verify my comments & opinions of my dealings with Troy, I do not RECCOMEND him but to each his own**

Worst attorney ever because of his neglect in my case I got an eviction, he is not professional he missed our first appointment, does not return calls and does not listen, was texting in our meeting & answering calls.
He is very Unorganized, and arrogant. Poor people skills..
I Don't RECCOMEND Troy to anyone..

I couldn't be more grateful for the wonderful service this firm has provided!. Troy was amazing on listening to my case and helping solve my issue with a past landlord. I highly recommend anyone to go visit them for consultations!

Amazing Person. He told me if I got a ticket for running a relight. It's not worth it to get him. He said just go to court and request school. Looks like a guy that wants to help people, not take your money!!! He could have said he will help me best as he could, and taken my money. BUT he was honest about it!!! Thank you again!

Troy was very professional, personable, efficient and thorough. He was a pleasure to work with! I also respect his desire to uphold the laws that protect the rights of renters from being mistreated and unlawfully displaced by their landlords. To anyone that is in need of legal assistance concerning their rights as renters, I highly recommend seeking Troy's counsel.

He was late to both meetings we had with him and he forgot about my very first meeting which wasted my time.

I recently moved to Portland and ended up in an unfortunate situation with a crazy, narcissistic landlord who is a retired judge and attorney and who used his law background to bully me, push me around, and threaten me with an enormous law suit. Troy was very easy to work with and great at helping me to understand my complex legal situation and bring it to a peaceful resolution. I highly recommend Troy and Portland Defender. His rates are reasonable and he put in some extra time for me. All communications were clear and timely. I had never had to hire a lawyer before, and I was a little intimidated by the whole situation, but Troy made the whole thing much less stressful for me. Lawyers get a bad rap, but Troy is truly a good guy you can trust. And he will fight hard for you!

Troy is on it; really great to work with. He is on your side, and able to clarify and support in difficult situations. It is always worth it to reach out to him. I highly recommend it.
He guided me through a tricky acquisition (I was living in a building that was sold, and the new owners/management decided to empty the units to rebuild). Troy checked in on every aspect to make sure I was being treated fairly, and within the law. As soon as that was not the case, he was quick to contact the management and I received a settlement.

Troy and team were wonderful in recouping costs from a landlord dispute that I had last fall. I rented a unit from RMS property management that wasn't heated (lack of heat was not disclosed before signing the lease). Troy worked directly with the management company to obtain a sizable settlement. Throughout the process he kept me informed of settlement progress via email.
I would highly recommend Portland Defenders for landlord deputes. They were extremely professional and experienced. I appreciated how quick and easy they made this entire process.

This was my first experience with a lawyer. Troy made me feel totally understood and extremely confident that I was in the right hands. He is a super friendly guy with a positive energy. I found myself in a pretty bad situation with a landlord that took advantage of my money/sanity. Troy succeeded in our case, we won and now I'm happily waiting on my check in the mail! Fingers crossed I don't have too, but I would use Troy again in a heartbeat. Hands down the best.

Not sure where the positive reviews come from. This practice does not follow through with "free consultations" or even return phone calls. They may try the busy excuse, but after you fill out the online form they say they aim to get back to you in 6 hours. Never tried to give someone business and can't even get a call back.

Troy is a superb down to earth attorney. He consulted us on how to deal with a landlord issue after we moved out and based on his advice, we got the situation taken care of to our satisfaction. I can recommend him to anyone who needs an attorney to deal with landlord tenant issues! Thank you again!

The moment I came in for my appointment, this gentlemen was texting away to somebody for a good 5 minutes, asking me to wait. I paid my fees and when we began to discussing my case, he kept texting away saying that he was listening. He only asked a few minor questions and then called it quits, saying that there was nothing he could do. Worst experience with a professional. I found a far more experienced attorney that helped me get through my case. Not like this youngster.

Amazing results and wonderful customer service. would certainly use Troy again, if the need arises.

Now, for those of you who actually read the more in depth reviews, let me tell you a story. Roughly a month before our wedding, my fiancé and I were troubled by a bad neighbor and given some unnecessary problems from our landlord, Greystar Mgmt. This resulted in us nearly being evicted on a false basis.

I am not one to use an attorney and generally handle problems myself as they arise, but this was untouchable without legal advice. I searched and quickly called Troy based upon the reviews I read here. Two rings and I was talking to the man himself. As our matter was very time sensitive, he even agreed to meet with us short notice in two hours time.

Once we arrived at Troy's contemporary digs, we were greeted with an impeccably professional attitude, listened to and communicate with as old friends, (by both Troy and his Paralegal!) and had hatched a plan of action in just a few moments time.

After this, we left feeling much more relaxed.

The icing on top? Within two days Troy emailed us stating that all of our demands had been met. It was literally that easy. He got us everything we wanted for such an unbelievably low price. I could not be happier.

Thank you Troy!!!!

My experience with Troy was outstanding. He made it quick and easy. I will not go anywhere else for my issues and will refer him to anybody I know. He most definitely is on the tenants side when it comes to tenant/landlord issues. My landlord tried to raise my rent and give me a no cause termination notice after I requested for maintenance. It took her a week to get somebody to come out to fix our issue and after it was fixed, she gave me a no cause termination of residency. I went to Troy right away that day and that was it. Explained my situation to him and he took care of it right away. No hassle at all. I now don't have a rental increase and do not have to move. On top of that, he got me some money. I give him a five star and will refer him to everybody.

My fiancé and I first met with Mr. Pickard in 2014. All expenses & time spent with him were Worth It! I recently called him again and I was eased of all my worries with his opinion and expertise! Anytime I will ever need to hire an attorney, it will be Mr. Troy Pickard. Thank You So Much for All Your Help!

My landlord sent my house a no-cause eviction notice. This really freaked me out since we're on a lease. A friend recommended Troy and with one phone call my stress level went from 10 to 2. He was very friendly, answered all of my questions, and even put us in his system and documented the call. I'm hoping this issue can be resolved without legal action, but if we do need to hire a lawyer for this we're calling Troy.

I was served a 72 hr. notice i contacted Troy, meet him next day in his office i told him my landlord nightmares, Then he called the rental company he had them come and look at the unit next thing i know 72 hr notice was rescinded and there going to fix my problem immediately.
Troy your the man!!! I would recommend him anytime

Troy gave us excellent advice on dealing with our bully landlords. He interpreted our lease and we learned that we were in a very strong position to terminate it and move on. Before we talked to Troy we were scared of retribution or being on the hook for a lot of fines - now we are confident to stand up to them and take back control of our living situation. He made himself available for us on short notice and pretty late at night - we are so grateful. He is worth it!

He is not the one too mess withas a caregiver she's is a disabled and confined to a electronic chair and was in the same situation for an unauthorized ocuepinte or a guest in the apartment who was seen coming in and out of the apt And Said that drug's around the apartments And then her and I have faught it in a court room in front of a judge and the judge looks at the case and then he said that it's the landlord fault that we don't have to provide any documents of any address for the landlord that I am a homeless transiete and have no matter what The cause diespute in a 3 hours of the Justice system for a 72 hour eviction notice case was rudeness from the landlords case that they are not too obbtaine adresses from me nore asked llegal pappers of mailing address from me and income documents was ruled out For the landlord has to pay for 4 months of rent for Carley Teresa Voyce's rent for the 4 months 624.56 Up for her next rent to be paid by the landlord is at fault! Judge said case is closed.

Troy was fantastic. We received a letter from our previous property management company stating that we owed them for carpet replacement because the carpet had a life of 10 years, which of course was ridiculous, as well as replacement of all bathroom flooring, which was ancient when we moved in. I wrote a letter requesting that they simply mark the account with a zero balance to avoid my seeking legal recourse, which of course they ignored. When I received the collection notice, I called Troy and he sent one letter the evening that we met to them requesting financial compensation for our inconvenience and we received a check. He was thorough, considerate and got us more than we expected. I just wanted it to go away and he did that and more.

Troy Pickard at Portland Defender is a "get the job done lawyer"! Troy handled our case with knowledge and professionalism. His expertise allowed a quick and pain free resolution to an unfortunate situation. I recommend Troy for your legal needs without hesitation!

Troy is very efficient and has a great personality! He fights hard for his clients.

I called twice in dire need of help, left 2 voicemails, and sent 2 emails. They never replied. I am now in need of help again. Great reviews, pops up first on list in search results, but I won't bother reaching out to this attorney because I won't even get a response!

I came to Troy for help with a retaliative landlord whose abusive behavior left me barely scraping by financially. Troy helped me resolve the matter without any escalation and I was able to recoup enough of my damages to ease the strain. He kept us out of court and his calm, warm demeanor and firm stance on protecting tenant's rights helped me stand up for myself in a way I can feel proud of. I hope I don't need to use Troy again but I'm glad to know he's there if I do.

Troy was prompt and professional. He was helpful in the direction I needed to go and was always there to answer all my questions. He did a great job for me.

I contacted Troy Pickard about retaining his services regarding unlawful withholding of security deposit, with questions about the strength of our case. I was going through a difficult time financially, and I expressed to him multiple times that it wasn't worth the retainer fee for me unless he was certain we were correct in assuming that the deposit was withheld unlawfully. I didn't want to be out any further money.

He expressed complete confidence that we had a cut and dry case. However, after his initial contact with my previous landlord, and their response, he immediately backed down, and said we should just accept the loss. Essentially, I paid him several hundred dollars to write a stock letter, and never felt represented at all. And of course, never had recourse to reclaiming my security deposit.

Troy fought hard for our rights when we faced an illegal attempted eviction. We were able to avoid going to trial and negotiated a more reasonable move-out date, as well as receiving damages due to the illegal actions of the landlord (related to repairs they didn't want to pay for). Troy worked with the landlord's attorney in order to secure a favorable resolution. We also received our deposit back in full, something I have never had happen despite our excellent care of previous landlords' properties. If I knew I could have my rights so well-represented I would never have allowed previous landlords to push us around and take advantage of us. Thanks Troy!

A Legal Ninja!
Troy was amazing. In our land-lord tenant case, Troy was like a rock in the moving ocean of legal non-sense. He knew his stuff, knew what was comming next, was very calm at all times, and helped us to feel at ease in a not so fun situation.
I was almost sure when we went to trial that he was going to set off the metal detector because I was convinced there had to be some chinese stars hiding in his jacket. Ninjas always keep those things on them and Troy is definitly a legal ninja!

I was facing a potentially large building permit violation. Troy was able to clearly explain the possible outcomes of my situation and help me determine the best course of action. In the end, Troy helped me get the results I was hoping for.

Troy is an amazing tenant lawyer. Not only did he get a bogus eviction dropped, he helped us settle out of court with our landlady for an amount close to $5,000 dollars for her sleazy maintenance man's repeated illegal entries. His rates are fair and results are well worth the money. Thank you Troy, for all your help.

Troy is a awesome attorney. if you have any problems going on with your Slumlord (Landlord) call troy he told me from the start that at the end of this case ill have money in my bank account, and he was right.

Mr. Pickard did exactly what he said he would. I went to see him about a misdeamenor charge and he got all the charges dropped. The judge said I was going to get sentenced to 48 hours of community service, and loss of license for 3 months. Mr. Pickard was a pleasure to work with, it was my first time dealing with attorneys and it was so much better then I expected.

Hands down the best attorney I have ever encountered! His knowledge is only surpassed by his diligence and willingness to help his clients to the fullest extent. One would hope to never need an attorney but if you find yourself in a position to need one, Troy is your man. He has most certainly earned a client for life.

Troy goes above and beyond with quick, high-quality communication and gets the job done. He is very knowledgeable in landlord/tenant law and has provided fantastic legal assistance. This firm deserves major thanks and I would recommend them to anyone.

Portland Defender went above and beyond what I expected. Portland Defender made the whole process easy and comforting. Troy met with us several times to answer all our questions and give us an idea of things to expect. He worked quickly and we were able to resolve the situation with a settlement. I will definitely recommend my community to Portland Defender for any tenant or criminal defense issues.