The police report may reduce an evening into a few pages. A single incident could be enough.
Life is not always neat.
Perhaps dinner started at seven. An argument happened at nine. Someone went home around 10 in the evening. They came back later and a neighbor called the police at midnight. Or maybe a driver spent the evening with friends, got behind the wheel, got pulled over a few miles later, sat for roadside testing as well as a preliminary breath test, then was arrested. In the morning this could all be dismissed as a criminal case.
Criminal defense lawyers in Grand Rapids, Michigan, one useful task is putting the pieces back together.
Start Earlier Than the Arrest
A majority of people will be familiar with the shocking incident: flashing light, police at the door, or a handcuffing. But understanding what happened may need a deeper dive.
If there is a case of domestic violence, for example, the relationship between the people is legally relevant under Michigan law. The information provided by this company covers spouses and ex-spouses, people who have a child together, current and former dating partners and those who reside together.
The events that preceded the response of police could be important too. Did there exist a conflict? Was anyone present? When did the conversation begin? Anyone left and came back? Did anyone contact you prior to or after the incident?
The questions are not intended to fabricate a false story. These questions aid Grand Rapids domestic violence defense attorneys to understand the allegations in their proper sequence, rather than treating the arrival of police officers as the beginning of all.
The specific charge is also important. Michigan distinguishes among different domestic violence crimes, and the firm’s materials state that prior convictions could affect the seriousness of subsequent charges.
An OWI Stop Has Its Own Timeline
Sequence is essential in drunk driving cases. It could occur within a short time. It is important to consider the sequence of events, which includes the actual driving, why the police officer took you into custody, what he observed upon stopping you along with roadside procedures, statements or tests, as well as the actual arrest. When you add all the details, it is possible to hide the fact that various parts of the encounter have different purposes.
Michigan’s MCL 257.625, also referred to as Operating while intoxicated (OWI) and defines the crime. The firm’s announcement states that a preliminary breath test, also known as a PBT, is a tool for screening and is not admissible in trial to prove intoxication. It can also be used in determining the probable causes.
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.
Sometimes, the Timeline is found on a telephone.
Certain criminal investigations start with no police specific evidence.
Sexual assault allegations can be based on events that took place earlier. It could have occurred in a romantic relationship, a family situation, or even at work. According to a description from the company the person could discover the existence of an investigation before being arrested.
Chronology can be scattered across multiple sources. Communication records can reveal when people spoke. Digital records may help clarify a sequence of events. Statements by the individuals involved may describe the same event in a different way.
It’s not a given that a text message proves or denies a claim. It’s because criminal sexual assault defense lawyers in Grand Rapids, Michigan may need to be aware of how messages and statements, credibility concerns, and other available information are interconnected.
Documentation and Memory Aren’t the Same Thing
People tend to think of events rather than dates or moments following a stressful event. “It was later that night” could be a perfectly normal response in conversation, but is too vague to answer an important legal question.
Documents can aid in organizing memories. Existing records, such as messages, logs of calls, photos and receipts, court papers and court documents, can help establish an outline of the chronological sequence. The case will determine what’s relevant.
It is also important to safeguard records and not alter them to alter the look of the case. A lawyer for defense can determine what information could be significant and figure out how to deal with it.
A Case Number won’t be able to 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 1500 criminal cases dealt with over a period of 25+ years of combined practice. The practice covers OWIs, assaults, domestic violence, drug and weapon charges as well as sexual crime and retail frauds, expungements and driver’s license renewals.
The outcome of cases in the past which included dismissals and the acquittals of defendants as well as reductions or favorable pleas, can’t be anticipated.
Every new story has its people, sequences of allegations, proof, etc. That’s the entire point.
An arrest can happen in minutes. A charging label can be made in a couple of words. To comprehend the events that led up to it, it’s typically necessary to slow down the evening and look at the events that actually transpired.