Philosophy Blog in Grand Rapids

December 02

Posted By: Keeley Blanchard
Posted In: Criminal Defense , Philosophy
Date: December 2, 2015
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Does a jury have the right to nullify in Michigan?

Recently a man in Big Rapids was arrested after handing out pamphlets outside of a courthouse. Apparently the pamphlets were from the Fully Informed Jury Association and explained or advocated for jury nullification. Jury nullification occurs when a jury returns a verdict of “not guilty” des...

March 08

Posted By: Keeley Blanchard
Posted In: CPS , Criminal Defense , Philosophy
Date: March 8, 2014
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Why does it cost so much to defend child abuse allegations?

As experienced Grand Rapids child abuse attorneys, we know that child abuse cases, when properly defended, can be some of the costliest cases for which to hire competent attorneys. We frequently consult with parents who are defending against cases of child abuse who are unhappy with the performance ...

March 07

Posted By: Keeley Blanchard
Posted In: Criminal Defense , Philosophy
Date: March 7, 2014
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- 4517

How do criminal defense attorneys sleep at night?

One of the most frequent questions that I get from friends, family, and strangers when discussing my career as a criminal defense attorney is some variation of “how do you defend THOSE people?” or “how do you do what you do and sleep at night?” It’s a question I have come to dread, because...

March 03

Posted By: Keeley Blanchard
Posted In: Philosophy
Date: March 3, 2014
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- 1596

Where is the line for the criminal defense attorney?

There’s an interesting discussion going on in the “blawg-o-sphere”. I don’t normally chime in — in fact, I never have chimed in on blog debates about criminal defense. However, this is an issue that bothers me because I am seeing more and more people masquerading as lawyers who take money ...

March 03

Posted By: Keeley Blanchard
Posted In: Philosophy
Date: March 3, 2014
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Top 10 Mistakes People Make When Hiring a Criminal Defense Attorney

So you or a loved one is in a position you never thought you would need: you need to find a Michigan criminal defense attorney and you need to do it quickly. Here are some of the top mistakes we see clients make when hiring a criminal defense attorney in Michigan. 1) HIRING YOUR UNCLE’S…...

March 02

Posted By: Keeley Blanchard
Posted In: Criminal Defense , Philosophy
Date: March 2, 2014
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Effectively defending criminal charges requires work.

One of the things that makes us successful Michigan criminal defense attorneys is the fact that we complete thorough investigations, and don’t merely rely on the police reports and discovery provided by prosecutors in determining the facts of the case. In these investigations, one of the most impo...

February 13

Posted By: Keeley Blanchard
Posted In: Criminal Defense , Philosophy
Date: February 13, 2014
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- 1427

The Michigan legislature is trying to eliminate a citizen’s right to a complete defense.

Our lawyers are true believers in the idea that the adversarial process finds the truth. The more we can uncover in the court process, the more likely we are to find the truth about what happened. Some of the best truth-seeking occurs when witnesses are asked questions under oath and subject to cros...

May 21

Posted By: Keeley Blanchard
Posted In: Philosophy
Date: May 21, 2013
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- 1867

Why we defend people charged with crimes

One of the first questions that I’m asked at a cocktail party, dinner, or other social event is, “How do you do that for a living?” Normally, I respond with some sarcastic response because I’ve grown tired of listening to the patronizing statements that usually follow my genuine answer. We d...