Traffic and misdemeanors
Tickets, a first DUI, and misdemeanor charges
I take traffic cases, first-offense DUI and misdemeanors in the district and municipal courts nearby. Felony charges go to defense lawyers who try them every month, and I’ll help you find one quickly.
Tickets and license points
Speeding, no insurance, a suspended license. Often the point is keeping your record and your insurance rate where they are, and that is worth a call before you pay the fine.
A first DUI
The criminal case and the license case run on separate clocks. The license side has a short deadline, so call early, even before your first court date.
Misdemeanor charges
Shoplifting, possession, disorderly conduct, a fight that got out of hand. I explain the charge, the likely options, and what each would mean for your job.
Sealing an old conviction
Whether an old conviction or arrest can be sealed, how long it takes, and what the paperwork costs.
A worked example
A first DUI, and a job behind the wheel
A delivery driver is stopped on his way home and charged with a first DUI. He can live with a fine; he can't do his job without a license.
We ask for the license hearing inside the short window the law allows, so his driving privileges aren't lost by default. Then I ask the prosecutor whether diversion is on the table, and walk him through what diversion, a plea and a trial would each cost him, in money and in time.
Names and figures are made up. Every case turns on its own facts, and none of this promises a result.
What it took
Flat fee through diversion or a plea, quoted in writing first
A trial is quoted separately, in writing
Court costs, fines and classes are separate
Questions about a ticket or a charge
Should I just pay the ticket?
Paying is pleading guilty. For most tickets that’s fine. For a commercial license, a third ticket in a year, or anything with points that could raise your insurance, call first.
Will I go to jail for a first DUI?
I can’t promise any outcome, and every case is different. I can tell you what usually happens in the courts nearby once I’ve read the report, and what we can do about the license.
Do you take felony cases?
No. I’ll help you find a defense lawyer who tries felonies regularly, the same day if I can.
Can you talk to my son or daughter instead of me?
If they are the one charged, I need to talk with them, and what they tell me stays between us. You are welcome in the first meeting if they want you there.
Call before your first court date
Tell me the charge and the court date on the paper you were given. I’ll call back to say whether I can help and what it would cost.