Jonah came into my office a defeated man. He was facing serious criminal charges, and was ready to take a plea deal that would have resulted in him serving up to 9 years in prison, lose custody of his baby daughter, and change his life forever.

When we reviewed his case in detail, we learned that the witness statements were almost entirely taken from attendees of a party that was hosted in the bar in which a fight occurred, involving Jonah and another patron (the host of the party and related to most of the "eyewitnesses"). Our investigators worked diligently to obtain footage from the bar security, as well as finding several other patrons who had recorded significant parts of the altercation on cell phones.

Putting together this package of evidence, we met with the state's attorneys to review the charges in a completely fresh light. In addition, we took the time to demonstrate Jonah's background - a veteran with no prior criminal history, who just starting his degree on the GI bill and volunteered in his community. 

We were able to negotiate the charges down to a summary offense - one that could be completely expunged from Jonah's record once he completed community service and paid his fines. 

Jonah's case is a great lesson for anyone facing criminal charges- the state comes at you- hard. They're going to throw everything they have up front- it's in their best interest for you to take a plea. However, there's almost always more than what is on the surface with a criminal case. An experienced criminal defense firm will put in the work to make sure the full picture is told- then we fight harder.