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Practice Area Details
Criminal law
Good people make mistakes or are falsely accused of a crime. Scores of people are convicted every year for crimes they did not commit, often based on circumstantial evidence. A felony conviction can lead to many years in prison. A criminal conviction – even for a misdemeanor offense – can have consequences on your life, even after you have served your sentence. Research has shown that criminal convictions are associated with reduced earning potential and a greater chance of being stuck in poverty. Employers are reluctant to hire someone who has convicted of a crime. And whether or not they have spent time in prison, people with criminal records face hundreds of social and political barriers to putting their lives back together. When so much is at stake, you need aggressive legal representation: lawyers who will work hard for you and who have the experience and knowledge to successfully defend you, no matter the charge.
Why you should choose The Ficly Law Firm for your criminal case
The Ficly Law Firm has represented clients since 1956. As a client, you will get our full attention. After meticulous research, investigation, and analysis, we will build a defense for you based on compelling arguments, and we are experienced in defending clients in a wide range of criminal matters, including but not limited to:
- Assaultive Crimes
- Property Crimes
- Drug Charges
- Driving Related Charges
We truly care about our clients and their families, and will put your mind at ease. Our goal is to get to a not guilty verdict or dismissal. We have dealt with hundreds of prosecutors and police officers and know how to speak to them on your behalf. No case is too complicated or too trivial for our criminal defense attorneys.
We have been recognized by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys for Client Satisfaction, and by the National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys for being among The Top Ten Under 40 Attorneys, and we have been rated in the Nation’s Top One Percent by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.Our clients recognize the sound legal representation we provide, and know that we are straightforward and honest with them, while at the same time personable and responsive to their phone calls and emails.
Get Us Involved Early in The Criminal Process
There are many possibilities available to defend the charges against you, but having an experienced criminal defence attorney involved early gives you the best chance of getting the charges reduced or dismissed completely.
Laws are complicated and the rules that law enforcement must follow are strict. Sometimes the police can make mistakes and when they do, our expert criminal defence lawyers will find them and use them to your advantage.
Simply having an attorney to represent you can substantially benefit you with your case. The courts look more favorably on defendants who are represented by a defense attorney. It shows that you are invested in the outcome of your case and that you are taking the matter seriously. On the other hand, attempting to represent yourself can be difficult and lead to unwanted results.
Contact Ficly Law Today
If you been charged with a crime or have criminal charges pending in Michigan, don’t delay. Call to speak with one our criminal defense attorneys, or click here to leave us a message online 24/7. There is no risk, no obligation, and no hard sell.
Criminal Law Help Guide and Frequently Asked Questions
Under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, criminal prosecutions must comport with prevailing notions of fundamental fairness.1 In California v. Trombetta,2 the United States Supreme Court articulated:We have long interpreted this standard of fairness to require that criminal defendants be afforded a meaningful opportunity to present a complete defense. To safeguard that right, the Court has developed what might loosely be called the area of constitutionally guaranteed access to evidence. Taken together, this group of constitutional privileges delivers exculpatory evidence into the hands of the accused, thereby protecting the innocent from erroneous conviction and ensuring the integrity of our criminal justice system.
Yes. In Brady v. Maryland, the United States Supreme Court held that suppression of material evidence by the Government that favors a citizen charged with a crime upon request amounts to a violation of the citizen’s fundamental due process rights regardless of the good or bad faith on the part of the Government. A prosecution that withholds evidence on demand of an accused which, if made available, would tend to exculpate him or reduce the penalty helps shape a trial that bears heavily on the defendant. That casts the prosecutor in the role of an architect of a proceeding that does not comport with standards of justice.In United States v. Agurs, the Court went a step further and held that for the purposes of a citizen’s Fourteenth Amendment due process right to a fair trial, a prosecutor has a constitutional duty to turn over, even without request, exculpatory material to the defense.
Typically when that question is asked, the client is referring to Miranda Warnings. The answer is that a police officer is only required to read an individual their Miranda warnings in certain situations and only when that individual is subjected to what is called “custodial interrogation.” Custodial interrogation is a legal term of art and is fact specific. Unlike how it sounds, it does not necessarily mean that a person has to be in traditional custody (i.e. under arrest) nor does it mean that an officer has to give Miranda warnings to anyone that they place under arrest. For these reasons, it is essential to hire a criminal defense attorney that is practiced in the intricacies of what constitutes custodial interrogation.
Typically when that question is asked, the client is referring to Miranda Warnings. The answer is that a police officer is only required to read an individual their Miranda warnings in certain situations and only when that individual is subjected to what is called “custodial interrogation.” Custodial interrogation is a legal term of art and is fact specific. Unlike how it sounds, it does not necessarily mean that a person has to be in traditional custody (i.e. under arrest) nor does it mean that an officer has to give Miranda warnings to anyone that they place under arrest. For these reasons, it is essential to hire a criminal defense attorney that is practiced in the intricacies of what constitutes custodial interrogation.
Miranda Warnings are required when and individual is being subjected to custodial interrogation.