The police report might reduce an entire evening to just a few pages. It could only be just a few words.
The real world is not always so tidy.
Perhaps dinner started at seven. A fight broke out at nine. Someone left the home around 10 pm, returned later and a neighbor contacted police shortly before midnight. Perhaps a driver was out with a group of friends, and then got behind the wheel. He was arrested a few miles later. This entire incident could have been combined into an arrest in the early morning.
For criminal defense lawyers in Grand Rapids, Michigan, one useful task is putting the sequence back together.
Start earlier than the Arrest
Everyone will remember the moment that was dramatic: flashing lights, officers waiting at the entrance, handcuffs being placed on, or a phone call from a detective. However, understanding the incident could require going further back.
Michigan law, for example examines the relationship of the parties involved in the case of domestic abuse. The information provided by this firm includes spouses and ex-spouses, people who share a child as well as current and former romantic partners in addition to those who live together.
The events that preceded the police response could have an impact as well. Did there exist a conflict? Was anyone present? What time did the interaction start? Anyone left and came back? There were any conversations before or afterward?
These aren’t a set of questions that were designed to make up a new story. They can help attorneys for victims of domestic violence in Grand Rapids, Michigan understand the allegation in its actual sequence rather than treating the moment police arrived as the starting point of all.
It is also important to know the precise charge. Michigan is a distinct state for domestic violence offenses and the company’s documents mention that previous convictions may influence the severity of subsequent charges.
The Stop for OWI is its Own Timeline
The sequence of events in a drunk-driving investigation can be shorter, but it’s still vital. The reason for the driver’s actions, the officer initiated contact, the results of the stop, the roadside protocols and the statements, the tests as well as the subsequent arrest all play a role. By treating everything as one incident can obscure the fact that various aspects of the confrontation serve different purposes.
Michigan calls the offense Operating while intoxicated, also known as OWI, under MCL 257.625. According to the data provided by the company, a preliminarily breath test is a screening procedure that cannot be used at trial as evidence of intoxication. But, it can be used to identify probable reasons.
This distinction is the reason why drunk driving defense attorneys in Grand Rapids may reconstruct the traffic stop, rather than focussing on one number that a driver remembers from the roadside.
Sometimes, the Timeline Exists on a Phone
There are many criminal investigations that do not start by police being witnesses themselves.
Sexual offenses may be based on events that happened earlier. This could be in a relationship, family or personal situation, or at work. According to the description of the firm, individuals could be informed about an investigation before they are detained.
Chronology can be scattered across many sources. Communication records can reveal how people communicated. Digital records may help clarify the order of events. Statements by the individuals involved may describe the same event differently.
It’s not a given that text messages establishes or disproves a claim. Criminal sexual conduct defense lawyers in Grand Rapids may have to examine how statements, communications credibility, and other details are linked.
Documentation and Memory aren’t the Same
After a stressful encounter most people will remember specific moments rather than timestamps. The phrase “It was later that night” is perfectly acceptable in casual conversation however it may not be sufficient to address a critical legal issue.
Documents can help organize memories. Existing records, such as messages, call logs, photos receipts, court papers and court papers, could aid in establishing the chronological sequence. The relevant information will depend entirely on the case.
Documents shouldn’t be modified to make an issue appear better. A defense attorney will be able to determine which information is important and how it can be handled.
One case number cannot be able to capture the entire evening
Shawn Haff reports more than 16 years of experience in criminal defense in Grand Rapids, and the Criminal Defense Law Center of West Michigan provides more than 1,500 criminal matters handled over 25+ years of practice. The firm’s experience includes OWI and domestic violence assault, drug-related charges, sexual assaults, weapons fraudulent transactions at the store, driver’s license renewal, and expungements.
The outcome of cases in the past such as dismissals or Acquittals, as also reductions and favorable pleas, can’t be anticipated.
Every case is unique and has its own person and sequence, along with evidence and allegations. This is the whole point.
An arrest can happen in minutes. It is possible to write a charge label in just a few words. To fully comprehend the events that lead to it, it is typically necessary to slow down the evening and look at the events that actually transpired.