The most critical window for defense work may be the first few days following an arrest, or even prior to formal charges being filed. By getting to work immediately, I can locate favorable defense evidence and witnesses, and get a “head start” towards defeating the charges.
My private defense investigators’s job is to find the evidence that will benefit you. I assign them to re-interview and locate witnesses, to canvass neighborhoods, to obtain surveillance tapes, to do background checks on key prosecution witnesses, and to locate evidence to corroborate our client’s version of the events.
Close Personal Contact with Your Attorney
Facing criminal charges traumatizes people. Nothing compounds the stress more than the inability to reach your attorney. I’m here to provide moral and emotional support as well as legal representation. Every client phone call, email or text is returned the same day; and
Every client gets my personal cell phone number. Not only does this provide you the assurance of knowing you can reach your lawyer at critical times. It also helps me do my job more effectively.
Close client interaction is pivotal to my work. My clients are the best resource for understanding what happened and who the key players are in the case. I want to hear from you, and you’ll definitely be hearing from me as together we map out the story and put together the best defense possible.
Early Intervention Before Charges Get Filed
Sometimes it’s possible to stop criminal charges from ever being filed.
After making an arrest or investigating a suspected crime, the police take their evidence to the prosecuting attorney. They evaluates the potential case and decides what criminal charges (if any) to file. Usually, the prosecutor makes this decision based solely on what the police present. But often there’s much more to the story.
Many times I can also speak with the prosecutor during this same time period. I can present our witness statements, our evidence and our information.
Knowing your side of the story may affect the prosecuting attorney’s decision to file or not to file criminal charges at all.
Legal “Second Opinions”
Perhaps you already have a criminal defense lawyer. Your case has been pending for awhile. Your attorney advises you on a certain case strategy, such as accepting the prosecutor’s offer, or taking the case to trial. Now you face a major life decision. And you’re just not sure what to do.
I can evaluate your case and offer an independent judgment as to your various options and the merits of each. Much like a patient may see another doctor for a “second opinion” before deciding whether to undergo an elective surgery, we can give you a legal second opinion.
My advice to you will be (a) unbiased, (b) independent, (c) looking only to your best interests, (d) based on a careful analysis of all the facts and law and (e) advise you have andy direct or collateral consequences of taking accepting the prosecutor’s offer.
Criminal Defense Specific to Non-US Citizens
When non-citizens are accused of crimes they face drastic consequences that are not applicable to U.S. citizens. Immigrant criminal defendants need to be aware of much more than what criminal sentence they face. My firm provides a variety of services in this area for individuals and attorneys, including:
- Advisals to criminal defense attorneys and public defenders about the immigration consequences of criminal charges and convictions;
- Assistance with negotiations between criminal defense attorneys, public defenders and prosecutors;
- Expert witness testimony before state and federal courts about the immigration consequences of criminal charges and convictions; and
- Post-conviction relief petitions, including vacating the conviction, withdrawing the guilty plea and/or sentence reduction.