Criminal Defense

This information is available to anyone over the Internet. Sometimes it requires a pay subscription to access, but it is readily available. Court records in Northwest Indiana are accessible through various public databases.

All the information on the letters came from the Clerk of the Court. If the letter contains your name and address, then it's you.

If the police are called to the scene after a crime was committed, they investigate, write a report, and turn that report over to the prosecuting attorney identifying the suspect. If the prosecutor believes enough evidence exists to charge the suspect, the prosecutor files paperwork with the Court and asks that the Court issue a warrant for the suspect's arrest or a summons for the suspect to appear in court. If the letter indicates there is a warrant for your arrest, then you are the suspect in this case.

A summons is an order from the Court ordering you to appear at a certain date and time to answer for the charges against you. A warrant is an order from the Court to all law enforcement officers to find you, arrest you, and deliver you to the county jail where you will be held until you are brought before the Court at an initial hearing. If you fail to voluntarily appear for a summons, the Court may issue a warrant for your arrest.

That may be, but someone told the police it was you and you did do it. The police believed them and so did the prosecutor. This situation will not go away or resolve itself somehow. You cannot hide from it. You cannot call the police or prosecutor and explain it. If you choose to ignore this situation, it will likely turn out badly for you. You need proper legal representation to defend yourself.

If your appendix is going to burst, do you really need a doctor? If the electrical wiring in your house is a fire hazard, do you really need an electrician? The answer is yes. While you have a legal right to represent yourself, the Court will not cut you any breaks simply because you do not know what you're doing. Unless you have the legal expertise necessary to represent yourself, I would suggest retaining an attorney.

You have a constitutional right to be represented by an attorney if you face any jail time, so every Court has public defenders. However, the Court will only grant you a public defender if you are indigent — which in most cases means you are unemployed, have no savings, no property, no car, or anything else of value. If you posted a cash bond, most courts will say you do not qualify because the bond has value. You should also consider the old adage: "You get what you pay for."

The cost depends on a number of factors: the severity of the crime, your prior criminal record, whether you were on probation or parole at the time, which county the offense took place in, whether you made statements to the police, and what actually happened. I realize no one plans to be charged with a crime, so I offer payment plans as low as $250 per month. I offer a free initial consultation where we discuss your case, I explain what I believe can be done, and I'll quote you the price of my retainer which usually consists of a down payment and a monthly payment plan.

While it is a good idea for us to meet in person — and the initial consultation is free — it is not absolutely necessary. You can schedule a telephone appointment, and I will be available at the scheduled time to speak with you. Retaining me over the phone only works if you have a credit card or debit card to make the retainer payment. If you cannot make payment over the phone, you should come in for your appointment, because I will not begin work on a case until the down payment is received.

I often have parents, spouses, and relatives retain me on behalf of another who is not present at the initial consultation. However, I will need to speak with the person charged as soon as possible, so we often schedule a follow-up appointment. If the person charged is in jail, I will visit them in jail to discuss their case. However, I cannot visit anyone in jail until I am retained to represent them.