Michigan Criminal Defense Blog

I practice throughout West Michigan working almost entirely for people charged with a crime. One thing I have noticed lately, particularly is the lower population counties is a basic law of professional courtesy. I am talking specifically about counties such as Barry, Muskegon, Ionia, and Montcalm. Sometimes a person charged with a crime in these

On occasion, one of my clients and their case will be featured in the news. I am ethically prohibited from talking to the media in a way that would influence public opinion about the case, so I usually keep my mouth shut. That being said, there are a few a things that I need to

Table of Contents Types of Bonds A word of Caution In many criminal cases, the defendant is required to post some type of bond. There are four main types, a PR (personal recognizance bond), a cash bond, a cash/surety bond and a 10% bond. While clients typically prefer the PR bond, many judges do not

The police must read your your Miranda rights or “Mirandize” when two conditions are met. First, you must be under arrest or be able to leave. And second, the information they are attempting to glean from you must be incriminating. Trust me, if you are being investigated for committing a crime, they are always trying

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To convict someone of a crime, the state has the burden of proving guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt.” More specifically, each element of the charged offense or offenses must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Reasonable doubt does not mean beyond all doubt but rather is means ” a fair, honest doubt growing out of

There is no one right way to respond when arrested, but there are certain things that will assist your defense at a later time. 1. Don’t make any statements to the police. You don’t need to admit anything. Despite what the police say, talking is not going to help you. Why help them make their

The penalty for a criminal conviction does not end at sentencing. While most people are relieved to be done with their case; even if they are unhappy with the result, they often do not understand that their conviction may cause numerous problems for them down the road. This article is meant to highlight some of

Here is the basic Felony Procedure in Michigan. This will vary somewhat from county to county. A felony is any charge that carries a maximum penalty of over 1 year in jail. Most felonies start with a minimum maximum penalty of 2 years. Step One: District Court Arraignment. At this stage, a District Court judge will

Why do attorneys represent criminals? I think most defense attorneys get asked this once in a while. If someone discovers I recently got a jury to return a not guilty verdict in favor of my client, I sometimes get the follow-up question: How can you do that? You are getting criminals off. As those are