A police report may condense an entire day to the size of a few pages. The charges themselves could fit on a single line.
It’s not common to see a life that is so elegant.
Perhaps dinner started at seven. The argument started at nine. Someone left at ten and returned after. The neighbor called the police just before midnight. Perhaps, a driver went out with friends, then drove off. The driver was stopped a couple of miles further. The next morning, all this activity could be boiled down into a criminal case.
A crucial task for criminal defense lawyers who practice in Grand Rapids Michigan is to put the sequence back together.
Begin before you are arrested
The dramatic moments are what people remember the flashing lights the officers standing at the front door as well as the handcuffs and police call. The investigation of an incident may require digging deeper.
Michigan law, for example, considers the relationship of the parties in the case of domestic abuse. The information offered by the firm can identify individuals such as spouses, former partners, parents of a shared child as well as dating partners who lived with or shared a home.
The events that led to the police action are important. Was there an ongoing disagreement? Who was there? What time did the conversation begin? Are there any people who have left and returned? Did anyone have a conversation prior to or after the event?
These aren’t a set of questions that were designed to fabricate a story. These questions will help Grand Rapids, Michigan domestic violence lawyers to understand the allegations and the sequence of events instead of viewing the arrival of the police as the beginning.
Additionally, the nature of the charge is vital. Michigan differentiates between different domestic violence charges and documents from the firm suggest that previous convictions could impact the severity of charges to come.
The OWI Stop has its own timeline
A drunk-driving incident may be resolved in a shorter time however the order of events still matter. The driving itself and the reason given by the officer for engaging in contact, any observations made following the arrest, roadside procedure, statements, testing, and the arrest. If you mix all of the events, you can conceal the fact that the diverse elements of the encounter have different purposes.
Michigan’s MCL 257.625 which is also known as Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) is the law that defines the offense. The information from the firm explains that a breath test, commonly called a PBT is a screening tool that is not admissible at trial for evidence of intoxication. It can also be used to determine the probable causes.
This is one reason defense attorneys for drunk driving in Grand Rapids may reconstruct the traffic stop, rather than focussing on one number a driver will remember from the roadside.
Sometimes, the Timeline Exists on a Phone
Certain criminal investigations start without the police obtaining any concrete evidence.
Sexual-offense accusations can be based on events that occurred earlier, sometimes within a dating relationship, family or even a workplace encounter. According to the descriptions of the firm, individuals could be informed about an investigation before they are charged.
Chronology could be scattered over many sources. Communication records can reveal when people communicated. Digital records can aid in explaining an event. People may have different accounts of the same incident.
This doesn’t mean that a text message is a guarantee that can prove or disprove an allegation. It means criminal sexual conduct defense lawyers in Grand Rapids, Michigan may need to understand how communications, statements, credibility issues, and other available information fit together.
Memory and Documentation are Not the Same Thing
After a stressful event people tend to remember instances, not time stamps. It is easy to claim “It happened that night” however it’s not enough to answer the legality of a question.
Documents can aid in organizing memories. Existing messages, call histories, photographs, receipts, court documents, and various other records could provide dates or times that help to establish a more precise chronology. What’s relevant depends on the specific situation.
Documents shouldn’t be modified to make an issue appear more favorable. An attorney for defense will be able to determine which information is important and how it can be handled.
A Case Number Can’t Capture the whole evening
Shawn Haff, a criminal lawyer in Grand Rapids with more than 16-years of experience, reports that the Criminal Defense Law Center of West Michigan handled over 1,500 criminal cases during its 25+ years of practice. The experience of the firm includes OWI Domestic abuse, assault, drug-related charges, weapons, sexual offences, fraudulent transactions at the store, driver’s license restoration, and expungements.
Past outcomes, such as dismissals reductions, acquittals or favorable pleas – cannot guarantee the outcome of a different case.
Each new case includes its own character in it, their sequence, claims, and proof. That’s precisely the point.
An arrest can happen in minutes. In a few short words, you can create the charge label. To understand the events leading up to it, it is generally necessary to take a step back the time and see what really transpired.