Criminal Defense Attorneys

If you or a loved one has been charged with a misdemeanor or felony crime in Northern Michigan then you need to have a Traverse City criminal defense attorney who navigates those courts routinely and confidently. When you’re facing criminal charges, you need a Traverse City criminal defense lawyer that’s willing and able to aggressively pursue your interests in court and advocate for the best possible outcome. Your liberty is on the line, and a criminal conviction can also spell disaster for your employment, driver’s license and reputation in the community. Whether you are dealing with a misdemeanor, felony, civil infraction, or life offense our attorneys are prepared to answer your questions, address your concerns, and aggressively and enthusiastically represent you. We’re experts in a wide variety of criminal offenses, including drunk driving, marijuana and other controlled substances, domestic violence and assault crimes, larceny, and serious felonies.

Razavi Law provides clients with the unique combination of aggressive criminal defense attorneys and the wisdom and insight of former prosecuting attorneys. This unique blend of skill and experience is your best defense.

If you have been charged with a crime in the state of Michigan, call (231) 486-6366 for a free consultation.

If you or a loved one has been charged with a misdemeanor or a felony in Northern Michigan then you need the Traverse City criminal defense attorney who navigates those courts routinely and confidently.

Whether you are dealing with a misdemeanor, felony, civil infraction, or life offense; our attorneys are prepared to answer your questions, address your concerns, and aggressively represent your best interests.

We routinely provide excellent results for individuals charged with domestic violence, drunk driving, substance abuse crimes including possession of marijuana, assault, larceny and various other criminal offenses.

Call Razavi Law for more information (231) 486-6366

What to tell the police.

1) I am willing to cooperate with your investigation and I can provide you with my identification and basic information.

2) I am exercising my right to remain silent and will not answer any questions relating to possible criminal activity.

3) I respectfully request an opportunity to speak with my attorney as soon as possible.

Allowing police into your home. Do I have to let them in?

The owner of the home can refuse to allow the police entry and force them to get a warrant.

This means that the police will have to draft an affidavit for search warrant and wake up a district court judge or magistrate in the middle of the night to sign and authorize entry.

There are exceptions, of course, to this right to refuse entry, but the basic principle is that the owner of a home has a 4th Amendment right to be secure in their home from unwarranted searches and seizures.

Allowing police into your vehicle.

When inside a vehicle, you have a lesser expectation of privacy.

However, you may still refuse to allow the police into a vehicle if asked. The police will then be forced to secure a warrant to enter your vehicle and search its contents.

The common exceptions to this rule are if the driver is arrested for any reason (driving while license suspended, no insurance, no registration, etc.) then the police have the right to search the vehicle “incident to arrest”. If the police see beer cans or anything that may indicate illegal activity in “plain sight”, they may have the right to search the vehicle.

Arraignment

The arraignment is the beginning of the process of being formally charged with a crime.

The purpose of the arraignment is to inform you of the criminal charges against you and to review your bail and bond conditions.

You always have the right to plead NOT GUILTY whether or not you think you have committed the crime you are charged with.

Every criminal defendant has the right to demand that the prosecuting attorney prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Every criminal defendant has the right to not testify and the fact that they are not testifying cannot be used against them or mentioned by the prosecuting attorney.

Pre Trial

A pretrial conference is scheduled after the arraignment and is a meeting that is attended by the attorneys for the parties in a criminal case. The major purposes of a pretrial conference are to facilitate resolution of a case preferably a dismissal.

The direction of a criminal case is often determined after a pretrial conference. Pretrial conferences are a vital tool, which a skilled criminal defense lawyer will utilize for several reasons:

Promote dismissal of the charge(s) under certain circumstances

Negotiate a favorable plea bargain

Address bond, bond conditions and/or release from jail

Adjourn the pretrial conference to seek a deviation when strict policy obstructs a plea bargain

Request modification of no-contact order (domestic violence cases)

Negotiate restitution when financial losses are claimed

Meet with the Judge when judicial support is needed to discuss various matters, such as sentence bargains, creative plea bargains or to simplify issues of the case when set for trial.

Size up the prosecution’s case, witnesses and evidence.

Request copies of discovery (police reports, videos, chemical test results)Schedule one or more motion dates to attack the evidence, or to weaken the case

Set future pretrial conference date(s) when delay can tend to improve the defense position

Schedule the case for a bench or jury trial

 

Trial

The financial cost and stress associated with a criminal trial make it the last resort. However, in the rare occasion when a dismissal or other favorable resolution isn’t available a criminal trial is an opportunity to set things straight.

In a criminal trial, the burden of proof is on the government. Defendants do not have to prove their innocence.

Instead, the government must provide evidence to convince the jury of the defendant’s guilt.

The defendant must be found guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt,” which means the evidence must be so strong that there is no reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime.

We handle all Michigan misdemeanors, felonies, and civil infractions, including:

  • Assault and Battery
  • Criminal Sexual Conduct
  • Department of Natural Resources – DNR Violations
  • Disorderly Person
  • Domestic Violence
  • Driving While License Suspended (DWLS)
  • Embezzlement
  • Homicide
  • Larceny
  • Marijuana and the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act
  • Open Container
  • Reckless Driving
  • Retail Fraud
  • Traffic Offenses

Expungement Attorney

Yes!  We’re Traverse City expungement attorneys, and we can handle your expungement.  Is a criminal conviction from several years ago holding you back from applying for jobs or school? Contact us today to see if your criminal conviction is eligible to be expunged from your record, and how we can help you make sure your expungement is successful.

Locations

Our attorneys have represented clients in the following counties:

  • Antrim criminal attorney
  • Benzie criminal attorney
  • Charlevoix criminal attorney
  • Emmet criminal attorney
  • Grand Traverse criminal attorney
  • Lake criminal attorney
  • Leelanau criminal attorney
  • Manistee criminal attorney
  • Mason criminal attorney
  • Missaukee criminal attorney