A police report might condense an entire day to a few pages. The charge could be as simple as a sentence.
Real life is rarely that neat and tidy.
Perhaps dinner started at seven. When it was nine there was a fight. Someone left the home around 10 in the evening. They returned later and a neighbor contacted police just before midnight. Maybe the driver went out with a group of friends, and then drove off. The driver was stopped a couple of miles later. The next morning, all the events could be boiled down into a criminal charge.
Criminal defense lawyers in Grand Rapids Michigan can benefit by reversing the process.
Start Prior to the Arrest
The dramatic moments are what people recall the flashing lights the officers waiting at the front door in handcuffs or the police request for help. To understand the full impact of an incident, it may be necessary to go back to the time.
In the event of a domestic violence case For instance, the relationship between the people is legally relevant under Michigan law. The data provided by this firm includes spouses and ex-spouses alike, those who share a child, current and former dating partners and those who reside together.
It is also important to think about the events which led to the police intervention. Did there continue to be a disagreement? Who was in attendance? When did the interaction begin? Anyone left and came back? Was there communication prior or afterwards?
They’re not made to tell an entirely different narrative. They aid domestic violence defense lawyers who are located in Grand Rapids, Michigan understand the claim in its true order, rather than focusing on the time when police arrived as the beginning of everything.
The specific charge is also important. Michigan distinguishes between various types of domestic violence offenses and the materials of the firm state that previous convictions can affect the severity of future charges.
OWI Stops Have its own Timeline
A drunk-driving case can unfold in a much shorter amount of time, but sequence still matters. It is essential to look at the order of events which includes the actual driving, why the officer stopped you, what he observed when he stopped you along with roadside procedures, statements, tests, and the actual arrest. Treating all of that as one event can hide the fact that different aspects of the incident serve different objectives.
Michigan’s MCL 257.625 which is also known as Operating while intoxicated (OWI) is the law that defines the offense. According to the data provided by the company the roadside breath test is a method of screening that is not admissible at trial as evidence of intoxication. However, it may be used to identify probable motives.
That distinction is one reason drunk driving defense lawyers in Grand Rapids, Michigan may reconstruct the stop instead of focusing exclusively on one number a driver remembers from the roadside.
The Timeline can be found on some phones
It is not every criminal investigation starts with police witnessing anything themselves.
Sexual offenses may be based on incidents that occurred earlier. It could have occurred in a romantic relationship, a family situation, or even with colleagues. According to a report by the firm an individual can find out about an investigation before being arrested.
Chronology could be scattered over different sources. The messages may show when people communicated. Digital records could help explain the sequence of events. The exact time frame could be described differently by the people involved.
It’s not a given that text messages supports or denies a claim. It means criminal sexual conduct defense attorneys in Grand Rapids, Michigan may need to be aware of how messages statements, statements, credibility issues and other information available fit together.
Memory and Documentation are Not the Same Thing
People tend to recall events more than dates and instances following an event that was stressful. “It was later that night” might be perfectly normal in conversation, but is too vague for a legal issue.
Documents can help you organize your thoughts. Contact histories, existing messages photos, receipts, court documents, and various other documents may contain dates or times that aid in establish a clearer chronology. What’s important depends on the particular situation.
Documents shouldn’t be altered to make a situation appear more favorable. A defense attorney can determine what information could be significant and how to deal with it.
A Case Number can’t capture the entire evening
Shawn Haff reports more than 16 years in the field of criminal defense in Grand Rapids, and the Criminal Defense Law Center of West Michigan has more than 1,500 criminal cases that were handled in the last 25 years of combined practice. Its work includes OWI and domestic violence assault, weapons and drugs charges, sexual offences, shopping fraud, expungements and driver’s license reinstatement.
Past outcomes, such as dismissals acquittals, reductions, or favorable pleas – cannot guarantee the outcome in a new case.
Each new case has its own set of people and order, as well as allegations and evidence. This is the whole point.
An arrest can happen in minutes. It is possible to create the charge’s label in only two words. To understand the events leading up to it, it is usually necessary to slow down the pace of the night and consider what really transpired.
