Traverse City Criminal Defense Lawyer

After getting arrested for a crime, it can feel like your life is spinning out of control. Even if the charge you face is only a minor misdemeanor, the consequences can ripple through your life and disrupt everything. Of course, an arrest will not necessarily result in a conviction. The prosecutor must meet a high bar for establishing your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

With the help of an experienced criminal defense lawyer in Traverse City, MI, you can greatly increase your chances of beating the charges against you. At White Law PLLC, our team is ready to help you build a strong defense. Give us a call or use the contact form on this website to schedule a free case evaluation.

Reasons to Hire a Traverse City Criminal Defense Attorney

If you have been charged with a crime, you have the right to retain legal representation. This right is one of the fundamental principles upon which the United States justice system was built. Regardless of whether you are innocent or guilty of the crime for which you have been accused, you have the right to receive the best possible legal defense.

When both prosecution and defense have the ability to build their strongest possible cases, it helps ensure that justice is carried out. By hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney in Traverse City, MI, you will be putting yourself in the best position to avoid a conviction.

Should you instead attempt to represent yourself, the results are unlikely to be in your favor. You must realize that even attorneys hire other attorneys when they have been accused of a crime.

How to Protect Yourself After an Arrest

There are steps you can take during an arrest and immediately after to protect yourself and avoid additional problems. These steps include:

• Being calm and polite
• Remaining quiet
• Consulting a lawyer

Being Calm and Polite

While keeping cool during an arrest might be difficult, doing so can be crucial. Arguing or fighting with police will not benefit you in any way. In fact, doing so could lead to you being charged with resisting arrest in addition to the charges you face that led to your arrest in the first place.

Remaining Silent

When you are arrested, police officers are required to inform you of your right to remain silent. Whether you are guilty or innocent of the crime for which you are being charged, keeping quiet can go a long way to helping you avoid a conviction. Even a seemingly trivial comment could potentially be used against you.

Consulting a Lawyer

Hiring an experienced criminal defense lawyer will greatly increase your odds of avoiding a conviction. If you can’t afford a lawyer, the court will assign you a public defender. While many of these attorneys are capable, they are almost always overworked. Because of this, they will likely attempt to reach a plea deal as quickly as possible to move on to the next case.

On the other hand, if you hire a criminal defense attorney, you can expect them to work diligently to help you beat the charges against you. Even if you do end up negotiating a plea deal rather than taking your case to court, the terms you will receive will likely be far better than what you would have gotten with a public defender.

Actions a Criminal Defense Attorney Will Take in Your Case

When you hire a Traverse City criminal defense attorney, you can expect them to work diligently to help you beat the charges against you. Some of the steps you can expect your lawyer to take while working on your case include:

• Conducting an independent investigation into the crime for which you were charged
• Negotiating with the prosecutor’s office to get the charges against you dropped or reduced
• Collecting evidence to build a strong defense on your behalf
• Arguing your case in the courtroom

A Walkthrough of the Steps Taken After a Crime

When a crime has been committed, several steps must be taken to pursue justice. If you are facing a criminal charge, knowing what to expect can help you feel a little more grounded and enable you to prepare for what’s to come. The steps that are commonly taken after a crime include:

• Investigation
• Arrest
• Filing Charges
• Arraignment
• Discovery
• Plea bargaining
• Preliminary hearing
• Pre-trial motions
• Trial
• Post-trial motions
• Sentencing

When you hire a criminal defense to help with your case, they will ensure you fully understand all the steps you can expect to go through as your case moves through the legal system.

Expunging a Criminal Conviction From Your Record

If you have been convicted of a crime in Michigan, getting the conviction expunged from your record can have many benefits. Some of the things expunging your record can help with include:

• Getting a job
• Finding housing
• Taking out a loan
• Avoiding social stigma

If you have a conviction on your record, it will appear anytime someone runs a background check. Running these checks is a routine procedure for potential employers, landlords, rental agencies, and money lenders. While a conviction may not automatically disqualify you, it certainly won’t do you any favors.

Furthermore, it is easier than ever to find a person’s criminal history on the internet. If you want to keep your acquaintances from finding out about your conviction, getting it expunged can be essential.

A clean record can make your life a lot easier. An experienced attorney can help you determine whether or not you qualify to have a conviction expunged. If you are eligible, your attorney can help you through the process and ensure that your expungement goes through without any hiccups.

Hiring a Criminal Defense Attorney in Traverse City

Following an arrest, your best bet for beating the charges you face is hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney. The Traverse City criminal defense lawyers at White Law PLLC have helped countless of our clients avoid convictions. If the evidence against you is overwhelming, we can help negotiate a plea deal that minimizes the legal consequences.=

Contact us today by giving us a call or through our online contact form and schedule a free case evaluation with a member of our team.