Lansing Criminal Defense Attorney
TYPES OF CRIMINAL CHARGES IN LANSING
In Lansing, and all over the state of Michigan there are two general categories of crimes: misdemeanors and felonies. A misdemeanor is a criminal charge that has the potential to send you to the Ingham County Jail for up to one year. A felony is a criminal charge that has the potential to send you to state prison for at least one year. Depending on the severity of the felony, you could be sentenced to up to life in prison without the possibility of parole. There is no capital punishment in Michigan, so a life sentence is the harshest sentence available. Misdemeanors are further broken down into levels and felonies are broken into classes depending on severity. If you are facing a criminal charge in or around Lansing, MI, then it is important that you speak to an experienced Lansing criminal defense attorney.
PROSECUTING AUTHORITIES IN LANSING
If you are facing a criminal charge within the city of Lansing, there are two main prosecuting authorities with who you may be dealing. The prosecutors in Lansing include:
- Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office: This office is operated by the state of Michigan and the current elected prosecutor for Ingham County is Carol A. Siemon. All state misdemeanor charges and all state felonies that arise in Lansing are handled by the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office. The Ingham County Prosecutor’s
Office is located at:
303 W. Kalamazoo St., 4R
Lansing, MI 48933
(517) 483-6272 (office)
(517) 483-6397 (fax)
- Lansing City Attorney: This office is operated by the city of Lansing and the current elected prosecutor for Lansing is James D. Smiertka. All city misdemeanor charges and civil infractions are handled by the Lansing City Attorney. The Lansing City Attorney’s
Office is located at:
124 W. Michigan Ave. #5
Lansing, MI 48933
(517) 483-4320
It is not recommended to speak directly to a prosecutor’s office if you have a case pending or a potential case. If you have a potential or actual case pending, then it is important to have an experienced criminal defense attorney help you in any communications with the appropriate prosecutor’s office.
LANSING AREA COURTS WHICH HEAR CRIMINAL CASES
Criminal cases in the Lansing area are first heard in one of the three district courts depending on where the crime is alleged to have taken place:
- 54A District Court: This court hears all criminal cases that were alleged to have taken place in the city of Lansing.
- 54B District Court: This court hears all criminal cases that were alleged to have taken place in the city of East Lansing.
- 55th District Court: This court hears all criminal cases that were alleged to have taken place anywhere in Ingham County outside of Lansing and East Lansing.
If your case is a felony, then your case will be sent to Ingham County Circuit Court if a prosecutor can show a district court judge enough probable cause that the charged criminal offense was committed, and that the defendant committed the offense. If this happens, then the charge would be “bound over” and sent to the circuit court for all future proceedings. If a criminal case is bound over in the Lansing area, it would go to:
- 30th Circuit Court: This court hears all felony cases that were alleged to have taken place within Ingham County.
One of several Circuit Court judges may be assigned to your case. It is important to have an attorney who has practiced enough in front of these judges to have a good idea of what to expect and how to approach your case most effectively.
WHAT IF I HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT MY CASE?
If you are facing a criminal charge in or around the Lansing area, then it is important to speak to an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately. Researching websites such as this can be a great starting point, but the information found on websites cannot serve as a substitute for the advice of an experienced attorney. If you have specific questions about your case, then the attorneys at Zeineh Law are available to you now.
THE ZEINEH LAW DIFFERENCE
For a prosecutor to be successful, he or she must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed a criminal offense without any valid legal defense. Was there a genuine, honest mistake in the alleged facts and circumstances? Are you able to show that while things might look a certain way at first, nothing illegal actually happened? To be most effective in your defense, your attorney has to be able to answer these questions. Simply saying the prosecutor didn’t prove their case might be considered effective by some law firms. Not at Zeineh law. At Zeineh law we realize that conducting our own investigation from the defense side is the best way to answer these and other necessary questions in preparing your defense. Just as a prosecutor will use his or her resources to build a case against you, you can use your resources to build your defense in the same way. At Zeineh Law, we don’t limit your defense by simply trying to explain the prosecutor’s version of events. We defend cases by going on offense, by advancing your version of events based on evidence obtained in our private investigations. This way, a jury has an actual alternative version of events to consider when deciding a verdict.
ZEINEH LAW PROUDLY OFFERS A FREE CONSULTATION
If you are facing a criminal charge in or around Lansing, MI, then it is important to speak to an experienced Lansing criminal defense attorney immediately. At Zeineh Law, we are proud to offer FREE consultations to all prospective clients. If you are trying to decide which attorney to choose or are looking for an honest assessment of your criminal case, then our attorneys are available to help you now. Feel free to contact us anytime at (517) 292-7000 or by
email. Our advice is free, and our discussions will always be protected by the attorney-client privilege. Make your first choice towards freedom with a consultation with an experienced criminal defense attorney at Zeineh Law today.
