CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS
The first important stage of the criminal process is the investigation by law enforcement. If the police are attempting to question you about a crime that occurred or if you are the suspect of a criminal investigation, retaining a quality Criminal Defense Attorney during the investigation is crucial for several reasons.
CRIMINAL WARRANTS
Generally, there are 2 types of criminal warrants that can be issued by the court for someone’s arrest.
Why retain a Criminal Defense Attorney for a Warrant? A quality Criminal Defense Attorney can assist you in taking care of the warrant. A skilled Criminal Defense Attorney may be able to challenge the warrant and have it set aside to avoid spending time in jail. An experienced Criminal Defense Attorney will be able to help you a reasonable bond on your behalf so you avoid spending time in jail.
EXPUNGEMENTS / SEALING OF CRIMINAL RECORDS
This day and age, with this extremely competitive job market and everything being accessible on the Internet, a criminal conviction can adversely impact one’s current employment status or future employment aspirations, especially if the criminal conviction is a Felony
It is extremely important that you retain a skilled Criminal Expungement Attorney to make sure that you can seal or expunge a criminal conviction. There are a number of crimes that cannot by law be sealed or expunged. Additionally, in recent time, the law in this area has changed dramatically and has become quite complicated.
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Choosing the best OVI / DUI Attorney for your case is an extremely important decision. An OVI / DUI charge is an extremely technical criminal charge, which requires knowledge, skill, and experience.
Mr. Blake is certified in the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, which means he completed the exact same training required for law enforcement personnel for OVI / DUI detection.
Being arrested for drinking and driving and charged with a first OVI / DUI is an extremely frightening and surreal experience. From the moment you see the flashing lights until you are ultimately arrested, you are subjected to things you never imagined,
UNDERAGE OVI / DUI / OVUAC
The prohibited alcohol level for someone driving under the age of 21 is .02. An Underage OVI / DUI / OVUAC is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, authorizing a court to impose a maximum jail sentence of 30 days. Generally, a first offense Underage OVI / DUI / OVUAC carries no mandatory jail sentence, $0 - $250 fine, 90 days – 2 year license suspension, and 4 points assessed to your license. The court may impose probation with alcohol treatment and may order yellow plates and an interlock device.
COMMERCIAL DRIVER’S LICENCE (CDL) & OVI / DUI
The prohibited alcohol level for someone driving with a CDL is .04 much less than the .08 as in other cases. A charge of OVI / DUI for someone with a CDL is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
An OVI / DUI charge and conviction can affect one’s livelihood substantially. The individual with a CDL refusing to submit to a chemical test or having a failing result of .04 must surrender their CDL immediately. If convicted of drinking and driving a first time, among other penalties, there is a 1-year suspension to the CDL. A second conviction of drinking and driving and the individual could have their CDL disqualified for life.
ALCOHOL-RELATED CRIMES
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In 1971 President Nixon named drug abuse as "public enemy number one in the United States." From that point forward drug laws began to change with penalties getting significantly more severe and the majority of funding going towards law enforcement.
As a result, the primary function of law enforcement is to obtain drug arrests and convictions. Additionally, forfeiture laws now allow law enforcement to seize money and other things of value that have a connection with the commission of a drug crime. Needless to say the government has an interest in money and other things of value they believe are connected to a drug crime.
What does your Criminal Drug Attorney need to know and explain to you?
An experienced Criminal Drug Attorney will be able to explain the process to you, explain the charges - what the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt, identify potential legal issues as well as strength and weaknesses with regard to your case, and the potential penalties. A skilled Criminal Drug Attorney will also challenge the evidence presented by the government to obtain the best possible result on your behalf.
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The first critical stage in any federal criminal investigation is the investigation by federal law enforcement agents. If the federal government is investigating you they may send you a letter called a “target letter” advising you that they are investigating you or they may simply try to come talk to you in person.
We have experience representing federal charges in the following areas:
The federal criminal justice system is much different than the state criminal justice system. The charges and potential penalties operate much differently.
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Domestic Violence / Assault cases involve an alleged injury to a family member or someone else. The charges are considered crimes of violence. As a result, these types of charges can adversely affect the family and a defendant’s quality of life in many different ways.
As such, you need an attorney with experience in Domestic Violence / Assault cases. You need an attorney to properly evaluate and investigate your case. We have the resources available to properly investigate your case in an effort to obtain the results you need.
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There is no worse scarlet letter in our society than to be charged or convicted of a sex crime or sex offense. In addition to traditional forms of punishment that may be imposed, i.e. jail, prison, probation, fines, etc., those that are charged with a sex crime or even worse convicted are subjected to the worst form of ridicule.
The Adam Walsh Act and Ohio Senate Bill 10 organize sex offender classification into three Tiers. Classification is based solely on the offense of conviction. A person’s likelihood to reoffend is no longer considered.
Registration and verification duties are as follows:
A list of typical sex crimes is as follows:
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A defendant has an absolute right to appeal his criminal conviction. This right to appeal is to protect defendants against prejudicial legal error in the proceedings leading to conviction and against verdicts unsupported by sufficient evidence.
If you have been convicted of a crime it is imperative that you retain a skilled Criminal Appeals Attorney for your criminal appeal. A criminal appeal is an extremely technical and complicated procedure.
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PROBATION VIOLATIONS
Once you have been convicted of a crime you may be put on probation where a probation officer will monitor your behavior and require you to perform certain obligations.
If you are on probation and suspect your probation officer may violate your probation, you should contact a skilled Criminal Defense Attorney immediately. Many times, probation violations arise out of misunderstandings between a defendant and a probation officer. A defense lawyer can speak with a probation officer and may be able to prevent or remedy the situation prior to a probation violation being filed and sent to the Judge or reduce the sentence ultimately imposed for the probation violation.
A probation revocation hearing normally involves two steps:
There is a lot at stake with a probation violation. Ultimately, the judge will determine whether the defendant’s probation is reinstated or sent to prison. For this reason, proper preparation and presentation is essential. A defense attorney can speak on the defendant’s behalf, advise about what the judge is likely to impose, persuasively advocate and litigate on behalf of the defendant, which may all lead to a decrease the consequences.
GUN CRIMES
Examples of common gun crimes include:
Most gun charges arise from individuals carrying a gun in a specific way that is prohibited by law or having a gun when you’re legally not allowed to have possession of a gun. As such, the facts of each case are vital to determine if you are illegally carrying a gun.
THEFT & FRAUD CRIMES
In Ohio, there are many different types of theft and fraud crimes. These crimes can be classified as either misdemeanor or felonies depending on the amount alleged along with other criteria that might make the charge a higher degree i.e. the age of the victim, whether a credit card was the subject of the theft or fraud, etc.
Examples of common theft or fraud charges include:
If you are charged with a Theft or Fraud it is imperative that you retain a skilled Criminal Defense Attorney. In addition to any penalty that may be imposed, this type of charge could negatively affect your current or future employment especially if the charge is a Felony.
VIOLENT CRIMES
Examples of common violent crimes include:
Violence crimes involve an alleged victim and there may be witnesses to the alleged crime. As such, properly evaluate and investigate your case. You need an attorney with resources.
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