The criminal lawyer Grand Rapids, MI counts on discusses the cost of defending a serious felony charge
As the criminal lawyer that Grand Rapids, MI counts on to defend the most serious criminal cases, from homicide to sexual assault, Blanchard Law is frequently asked about the cost of defending a serious felony charge.
Costs for a Grand Rapids, MI criminal lawyer
In defending criminal charges of any kind, the saying “you get what you pay for” is pretty accurate. When you hire a criminal defense attorney to represent you, what you are purchasing is their time. The more time your Grand Rapids, MI criminal lawyer is able to put into the preparation of your case, the better the likely outcome.
The first thing that your Grand Rapids, MI criminal lawyer will need to do in defending your case is to conduct their own investigation. This means that they will need to spend time visiting the scene, interviewing witnesses, reviewing reports, making freedom of information requests to various agencies, working with a private investigator, retesting evidence, and doing anything necessary to prove your innocence and create reasonable doubt about the government’s case.
Your criminal lawyer will also need to prepare and file motions asking that the court exclude some evidence, to admit other evidence, or to take other necessary action on the legal issues in your case. This will take time in researching the law, drafting the motion and supporting brief for the court, and in arguing the motions in front of the judge.
A competent criminal lawyer relied on by Grand Rapids, MI will also begin to prepare for a jury trial from day one. In order to effectively tell your story to a jury, your criminal lawyer must first learn all of the details of your side of the story, then formulate how to effectively communicate that story to the jury. In order to do this, Blanchard Law uses focus groups to help learn what works and what doesn’t work in telling your story to a group of people. You don’t want the first time your Grand Rapids, MI criminal lawyer tells the story to be in front of the real jury.
The more time your criminal lawyer is able to spend on investigation, preparation, and the legal issues in your case, the more likely it will be that they can get the best results possible.
Investigative costs
In addition to the costs related to your criminal lawyer in Grand Rapids, MI, there are also investigative costs. Your lawyer may recommend utilizing the services of a private investigator to interview witnesses, find records, or locate other information.
Further, there are generally costs associated with obtaining some reports, particularly through requests under the freedom of information act. At Blanchard Law, we find it important in representing people in Grand Rapids, MI criminal cases to both request discovery materials directly from the prosecuting attorney, and to request them directly from the police agency or other government office through the freedom of information act. We do this because there are times that we receive different information even though we have requested the exact same documents. This allows us to determine if there is information that is missing, or if we have been provided with incomplete or altered documents.
Expert witness costs
In nearly all serious felony cases, the defense can benefit from consultation and testimony with expert witnesses. From the fields of DNA to forensic psychology, medical and scientific experts can often be the difference between winning and losing at trial. There are typically costs associated with both consultation and testimony for expert witnesses.
How do I pay for a criminal lawyer Grand Rapids, MI trusts?
Blanchard Law understands that funding your defense isn’t easy for most almost anyone charged with a serious felony offense. Many people who are facing serious criminal charges must look to family and friends to help them pay for their defense. Others use money from retirement accounts, the sale of vehicles or personal property, or loans.
If you are charged with a serious criminal offense in Grand Rapids, MI, contact Blanchard Law. Blanchard Law is the criminal lawyer Grand Rapids, MI trusts to handle the most serious felony offenses. Call today at 616-773-2945.