Representation for the defendant against criminal charges.
You've been arrested or served a summons to criminal court. The charge could be OUI, theft, or another of the more than one hundred crimes in Maine's statutes. Maybe you've never been in trouble before, and you have no idea what happens next or what you should do. Maybe you've been through the system a few times, but you know you shouldn't proceed without a lawyer. Whether you want to take a case through hearings or a trial or just to negotiate a fair plea agreement, you almost certainly need an experienced criminal defense attorney. As a layperson, you are probably ill-equipped to deal with experienced prosecutors.
Devotion to justice.
I have represented scores of accused criminals in Maine's court system, and in most cases I have helped them reach reasonable plea agreements. My cases have ranged from simple charges like operating a motor vehicle after suspension or criminal trespass to much more serious, often felony-level offenses, like aggravated assault, habitual-offender operating under the influence, forgery, and illegal firearm possession. I have dealt with numerous clients' severe mental health disorders; one client's incompetency to stand trial; First, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment violations and other due process issues; alternative suspects; dishonest witnesses for the State; charges that the prosecution cannot prove as a matter of law; and so on. No defense attorney has a magic wand that can undo a defendant's mistakes or make charges disappear, but I can identify constitutional problems arising from police conduct, find significant holes in the prosecutor's version of events, determine when the alleged conduct does not actually constitute a crime, or argue for leniency when it is appropriate. For the curious, I have posted some information about criminal law and procedure on a blog.
Results.
In most cases I have helped my clients to reach reasonable plea agreements, which is how the vast majority of criminal cases are resolved. Whether we like it or not, that is how the system works. I have helped clients to reach agreements with: no jail time, deferred dispositions, misdemeanors instead of felonies, concurrent sentences for different crimes, dismissals of the most serious charges, etc. However, I have also worked hard to get an acquittal after a jury trial (on a felony-level domestic violence assault charge), a mistrial on a hung jury (on another felony-level charge), five dismissals, and several favorable sentences after "open pleas." No two cases are identical, and, again, a lawyer doesn't have magical powers. But a knowledgeable and dedicated criminal defense lawyer can get results that are fair under the circumstances. With hard work and thorough analysis, I may be able to get you a fair outcome, too.
“the Due Process Clause protects the accused against conviction except upon proof beyond a reasonable doubt of every fact necessary to constitute the crime with which he is charged.”