Criminal / Municipal Court / Traffic Tickets / Desk Appearance Tickets
I have represented numerous individuals who have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, people who have been charged with disproportionate crimes compared to their conduct, as well as many individuals who simply made a mistake. I believe it is my job to explain the criminal procedure, the charges alleged, the potential outcomes, and the likelihood of each outcome, and then to create a strategy to best achieve your goals.
For the person in the wrong place at the wrong time, they usually do not want to take a plea agreement. As such, I prepare the case as though it will be going to trial from the outset. I will take the time and effort to hear your story, to speak with your witnesses, to obtain additional evidence to support your testimony, and I will zealously argue on your behalf to win over the police officer, the Prosecutor, the Judge and/or the Jury. Ultimately, it is your decision to take a plea or go to trial. However, when you are prepared for trial with good evidence on your side, the plea agreement often become much more favorable.
Some people admittedly have fractured a minor law or two. However, they have been charged with several high crimes. For example, I successfully obtained a plea agreement of a Conditional Discharge with PTI (pre-trial intervention) for a mentally ill high school student who was charged with several serious crimes. Instead of having a crime on his record, as demanded by the Prosecutor, I was able to persuade the Judge to Order this individual to undergo mental health therapy and anger management in addition to performing many hours of community service. Upon completion, the charges were dismissed, and his rehabilitation began. That is a success story which came from a bad situation.
I also meet people who have made the proverbial “mistake.” Whether it was taking the medication and driving, inadvertently speeding, getting pulled over after forgetting to renew your drivers license, or taking a puff of marijuana at a concert, good people can get arrested. For these individuals, I will endlessly advocate on your behalf to make sure that one mistake does not ruin your life. Whether its pressing procedural issues, independently testing the State’s equipment, or challenging the State’s evidence, I will make the morale argument as well as the legal argument to receive a fair result. If a fair plea agreement is not offered, I will take the case to trial and force the State to prove its case.
