Blog

An “Arraignment” is the first step in a Criminal case, and is an actual Legal proceeding where a person is formally charged with a Crime, and a Bond amount is set. At an Arraignment, the first thing that happens is that a person is told exactly what crime they’re being charged...

A DUI conviction in Michigan will remain on your public criminal record unless and until you have it expunged (set aside). For most people in Wayne, Oakland, or Macomb counties, that means that the conviction remains visible to everyone, including courts, prosecutors, employers, and law enforcement.

If a person contacts me about an “Expungement” (technically called a Set-Aside of Conviction), and I ask if they have any other Criminal Convictions, besides the one they want “expunged,” I’m often answered with a “nope. That’s the only thing I have.” After a few more questions, however, I learn that the...

Key Takeaways The main difference between a felony and misdemeanor in Michigan is the maximum period of incarceration that can be imposed. A felony conviction can result in being sentenced to serve time in the state prison, under the...

While only my own observation, and based solely upon my experience as a Criminal Defense Lawyer, the majority of leaving-the-scene cases involve property damage, rather than personal injury. Unless a Driver strikes a pedestrian, even colliding with someone on a bicycle is likely to cause property damage. Thus, most personal injury accidents...

The alleged Victim, however, is usually just sent a Notice to Appear, or, in some cases, may have been mailed a Subpoena. Because merely mailing a Subpoena to someone does not guarantee it’s delivery, only the act of having a person personally served with a Subpoena actually brings them...

When I spoke with my Client, he told me what had actually happened that day. Next, we began discussing his conversation with the Detective, who he indicated had been very polite and professional. My Client was just freaked out about that “warrant” comment. I explained to my Client that...

After getting out of Jail the morning after his Arrest, the Defendant is instructed to appear in the District Court for the City where the arrest occurred in a couple of weeks for his Arraignment. At his Arraignment, the Defendant enters a Plea of “Not Guilty,” and is sent home with his...

A person is “subject to” a Court Order when that Court has Jurisdiction over them. The subject of Jurisdiction could fill a small Law Library in and of itself, but for our purposes, we’re talking about a person having some relationship to a case pending in a particular Court. That...

However, the fact that a person was fingerprinted and booked does not go away, and the Court does not destroy or seal its’ file. Thus, there is a Public Record of this transaction, but the person winds up without a conviction. This can be a little problematic where someone has their record...