A police report could condense an entire day to only a few pages. The charge could be just a few words.

The real world isn’t always that tidy.

Perhaps dinner started at seven. After nine the house was in a fracas. Someone went out at 10 p.m., but returned and a neighbor then called police just before midnight. Maybe a driver went out with friends, then was behind the wheel. He was stopped a few miles later. The whole thing could have resulted in an arrest in the early morning.

Criminal defense lawyers in Grand Rapids, Michigan, one important job is to put the entire sequence back together.

Begin before you are arrested

Many people remember the dramatic incident flashing light, police at the door, or a handcuffing. However, understanding the incident could require a bit more research.

In the case of domestic violence, for example the relationship between people is legally relevant under Michigan law. The information offered by this firm covers spouses and ex-spouses, those who share a child as well as former and current dating partners and those who currently or previously live together.

The sequence of events leading to the response of police could be important in the same way. Was there a dispute? Who was present? What time did the interaction begin? Has anyone left and returned? Did anyone contact you prior to or after the incident?

These questions aren’t designed to fabricate a false story. They help domestic violence defense lawyers in Grand Rapids, Michigan understand the allegation in its actual sequence rather than treating the moment police arrived as the beginning of everything.

The precise charge can also be a factor. Michigan differentiates between domestic violence crimes. The firm’s documentation also highlight that previous convictions could impact the severity of a subsequent charge.

An OWI Stop Has Its Own Timeline

Sequence is vital when it comes to drunk driving cases. It may occur in a shorter amount of time. The driving, the reason the officer initiated contact, the results of the arrest, the roadside procedure and statements, the testing and, finally, the arrest are all crucial. If you mix all of the incidents, you are able to cover up the fact that the different elements of the confrontation have different goals.

Michigan refers to the offense as Operating While Intoxicated, or OWI under MCL 257.625. The information from the firm explains that a breathalyzer on the roadside test, commonly called a PBT, is a screening device and is not admissible at trial as evidence of drunkenness; however, it could be used to determine probable motive.

This distinction is the reason why defense attorneys for drunk driving in Grand Rapids may reconstruct the traffic stop rather than just focusing on one particular number a driver will remember from the side of the road.

At times, the Timeline appears on a phone

It is not necessary that the police witness an incident before they can begin an investigation.

Sexual assault allegations can be based on events which occurred prior to. This could be in a relationship, familial situation, or in a workplace. According to the company’s description one can be informed about an investigation prior to being charged.

Chronology is often scattered across several sources. It is possible to use messages to identify when people spoke. Digital records can aid in determining the sequence of events. Statements made by people involved can describe the same event differently.

That doesn’t mean a text message is a guarantee that proves or disproves an allegation. Criminal sexual misconduct defense attorneys in Grand Rapids may have to consider how statements, communications and other evidence are linked.

Documentation and memory are not the same.

People tend to remember events rather than dates and moments following a stressful event. “It happened later that night” could be a perfectly normal response when talking, but it’s not enough for a legal question.

Documents may help you organize the memories. Contact histories, existing messages, photographs, receipts, court documents, and other documents may contain dates or times that aid in establish a clearer chronology. The court will decide the significance of these documents.

Documents should not be altered to make the situation appear more favorable. An attorney for defense can identify what information is potentially significant and what steps to take in handling it.

One case number cannot be able to capture the entire evening

Shawn Haff, a criminal lawyer in Grand Rapids with more than 16-years of experience, reports that the Criminal Defense Law Center of West Michigan dealt with more than 1500 criminal proceedings during its combined 25+ year practice. Its work includes OWIs assaults, domestic violence, drug and weapon charges as well as sexual crime as well as expungements, retail frauds and driver’s licence restorations.

The outcomes of the cases that have been tried in the past like dismissals or acquittals as well as reductions and favorable pleas, are not forecasted.

Every new matter is unique and has its own characters, sequence, allegations, and evidence. That’s precisely the point.

An arrest can happen in minutes. A charge label can be written in a few words. Understanding the circumstances that led to it often requires slowing the speed of the night down and examining what happened in the sequence it took place in.