Lansing attorneys reviewing case with criminal defense client

Criminal Defense Lawyers in Lansing, MI

When you’re facing criminal charges in Lansing, East Lansing, or mid-Michigan your freedom, reputation, and future are on the line. You need more than just legal representation, you need a skilled defender who fights relentlessly to protect your rights.

Every day that passes without proper representation is another day that critical evidence might be lost and another opportunity for prosecutors to build their case against you. Don’t face this alone.

Criminal Defense Case Results

Civil Protection Order Denied

Civil Protection Order Defense of Stalking/Sexual Assault Allegation

Monument Legal successfully defended a client against a Civil Protection Order petition, wherein he was falsely accused of stalking and sexually assaulting a one-night stand. Our firm took the case to trial, rigorously challenging the petitioner’s claims, and secured a decisive victory with the court denying the CPO.

No Jail-Time Plea Agreement

Driving Under the Influence

Our client was charged with DUI 2nd offense, which carries a 10-day mandatory minimum jail sentence. We had our client complete various programs prior to his court date. Based on these initiative-taking actions, the government agreed to reduce the charge to DUI 1st offense and a probationary sentence with no jail time.

Dismissal

Juvenile Carrying a Pistol Without a License (CPWL)

A juvenile client, apprehended by police after fleeing and dropping his firearm, was charged with Carrying a Pistol Without a License. Monument Legal engaged in proactive negotiations with law enforcement, securing a diversion agreement. Upon successful completion of the program, his case was promptly dismissed, offering a path to a brighter future.

Top Criminal Defense Attorneys in Lansing, MI

At Monument Legal, our criminal defense attorneys in Lansing have spent years defending clients against charges ranging from DUIs to serious felonies. We know you’re dealing with fear about what comes next, confusion about the legal process, and concerns about how this will affect your job, your family, and your life.

We’ll review your case, explain the charges you’re facing, and lay out a clear defense strategy. You’ll walk away understanding your rights, your options, and what steps to take next.

You shouldn’t have to navigate the Lansing criminal justice system without an experienced advocate on your side. We handle every aspect of your defense while you focus on your life and family.

Types of Lansing Criminal Defense Cases We Handle

Our criminal defense law firm in Lansing represents clients charged with virtually every type of offense. Each case type presents distinct legal challenges, and our attorneys have the specialized knowledge to handle them all effectively.

DUI

Driving under the influence charges in Michigan carry serious consequences including license suspension, substantial fines, and potential jail time. We challenge every aspect of DUI cases, from the legality of the traffic stop to the accuracy of breath and blood tests. Field sobriety tests are subjective and often administered incorrectly. Breathalyzer machines require proper calibration. We identify weaknesses in the prosecution’s case and use them to defend your rights.

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving involves operating a vehicle with willful disregard for safety and carries criminal penalties including potential jail time. Prosecutors must prove you consciously disregarded known risks. We defend by challenging witness testimony, questioning police observations, examining road conditions, and presenting alternative explanations for driving behavior. Many reckless driving charges can be reduced to lesser offenses or dismissed entirely with proper defense.

Hit and Run

Leaving the scene of an accident is a serious criminal offense in Michigan. The law requires drivers to stop, exchange information, and render aid if anyone is injured. These cases often involve disputes about whether you knew an accident occurred, whether you were actually the driver, or whether you had a valid reason for leaving. We investigate circumstances thoroughly and build defenses based on lack of knowledge, mistaken identity, or emergency situations.

Grand Jury Representation

If you’ve been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury or believe you’re under investigation, you need immediate legal representation. You have no right to have an attorney present during testimony, but you absolutely need legal advice before appearing. We prepare clients for grand jury testimony, advise on Fifth Amendment rights, negotiate immunity agreements when possible, and protect from perjury traps. If you’re a target, we work to prevent indictment through pre-indictment advocacy.

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence charges cover assault, threats, and property destruction between family members, romantic partners, or household members. These cases often involve mandatory arrest policies and protective orders that immediately impact your living situation. Michigan prosecutors pursue these cases aggressively, even when alleged victims don’t want to press charges. We defend by challenging witness credibility, presenting self-defense evidence, exposing false allegations, and demonstrating lack of intent to harm.

Protective Orders

Protective orders restrict contact with alleged victims and can affect custody, housing, and employment. These orders are issued based on a lower standard of proof than criminal convictions but carry serious consequences and create permanent records. We represent clients in protective order hearings by cross-examining petitioners, presenting contrary evidence, calling witnesses who contradict allegations, and demonstrating that the petitioner’s fear isn’t reasonable or allegations are fabricated.

Assault

Assault charges range from simple assault (misdemeanor) to aggravated assault and assault with intent to commit murder (felonies). Severity depends on weapons used, extent of injuries, and whether the victim belongs to a protected class. We defend through self-defense arguments, defense of others, lack of intent to cause harm, mistaken identity, and challenging witness credibility. Many assault allegations arise from mutual altercations where our client acted defensively, not aggressively.

Gun Crimes

Michigan gun charges include carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, carrying a firearm with unlawful intent, and felony firearm (using a weapon during commission of a felony). Felony firearm carries a mandatory two-year prison sentence that must be served consecutively. We challenge cases by questioning whether police had legal grounds for searches, whether you had actual possession of the weapon, whether the weapon was operable, and whether you knew about its presence.

Sexual Assault

Sexual assault charges range from fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct (misdemeanor) to first-degree criminal sexual conduct (felony). These cases often involve consent disputes, credibility battles, and highly emotional testimony. Convictions carry lengthy prison sentences and sex offender registration requirements. We handle these sensitive cases by thoroughly investigating allegations, obtaining records that contradict the accuser’s timeline, interviewing witnesses, hiring experts on memory and false allegations, and preparing clients for defending their reputation and freedom.

Solicitation

Solicitation of prostitution involves offering money for sexual acts. Both those offering money and those accepting it face criminal charges. Michigan law enforcement conducts undercover operations targeting both buyers and sellers through online ads and stings. We defend by challenging entrapment, questioning whether illegal agreements were actually made, examining police procedures during stings, and in appropriate cases arguing for diversion programs that allow clients to avoid convictions through community service.

Drug Crimes

Drug charges range from simple possession of marijuana to delivery or manufacture of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and other controlled substances. Michigan has specific quantity thresholds that trigger enhanced penalties and mandatory minimum sentences. We defend by challenging illegal searches and seizures, questioning whether prosecutors can prove knowing possession, examining whether substances were actually illegal drugs, disputing quantity measurements that determine charge severity, and presenting evidence that drugs were for personal use rather than distribution.

Juvenile Defense

When minors face criminal charges in Michigan, cases are handled in Family Court with different procedures and goals than adult court. The focus is theoretically on rehabilitation, but juveniles still face serious consequences including detention, probation, and records that can affect their future. We protect young clients by advocating for diversion programs, presenting evidence of positive school and community involvement, working with families to address underlying issues, and ensuring youthful mistakes don’t derail futures.

Robbery

Robbery involves taking property from another person by force or threat of force. This felony carries substantial prison time, with enhanced penalties for armed robbery or injuries to victims. Prosecutors must prove both theft and use of force or intimidation. We defend through mistaken identity challenges, questioning the level of force used, presenting evidence that force wasn’t used to obtain property, and challenging victim and witness identification procedures that are often unreliable.

Kidnapping

Kidnapping involves unlawfully seizing, confining, or carrying away another person. This serious felony applies even to relatively brief detentions and doesn’t require physically moving someone a significant distance. Domestic disputes, child custody situations, and false imprisonment scenarios often result in kidnapping charges. We defend by demonstrating consent to accompaniment, showing that detention was brief and for lawful purposes, or proving that the alleged victim wasn’t actually restrained or threatened.

Strangulation

Strangulation is a separate, serious felony in Michigan due to the strong correlation between strangulation in domestic violence incidents and later homicides. The offense involves knowingly or intentionally impeding another person’s breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to their throat or neck. These cases often involve limited physical evidence and rely heavily on victim testimony and small injuries. We defend by challenging credibility of allegations, presenting medical evidence that contradicts strangulation claims, and demonstrating alternative explanations for injuries.

Carjacking

Carjacking in Michigan involves taking a motor vehicle from another person by force, violence, or intimidation. This serious felony carries a penalty of up to life in prison. The Lansing area has seen carjacking cases particularly involving younger offenders. We defend through misidentification arguments, challenging witness reliability, examining the strength of force or threat evidence, and in appropriate cases negotiating for charges to be reduced.

Murder

Homicide charges include first-degree murder (premeditated), second-degree murder (unpremeditated but intentional), and voluntary manslaughter (heat of passion killings). These cases demand the most thorough investigation and aggressive defense. We defend through self-defense arguments, challenging forensic evidence, presenting alternative suspects and theories, hiring expert witnesses in pathology and forensics, and in appropriate cases pursuing manslaughter verdicts rather than murder convictions. Every detail matters when life imprisonment is at stake.

Theft

Theft offenses in Michigan range from retail fraud (shoplifting) to larceny from a person and embezzlement. The value of property taken determines whether charges are misdemeanors or felonies. We defend by challenging evidence of intent to permanently deprive owners of property, questioning identification evidence, demonstrating consent or authority to take property, and negotiating restitution agreements that may lead to reduced charges.

Expungement

Michigan’s expungement laws allow certain criminal records to be set aside from public view. Recent reforms expanded eligibility, allowing up to three felonies and unlimited misdemeanors to be expunged after waiting periods. We help clients navigate the expungement process by determining eligibility, gathering supporting documentation, preparing compelling legal arguments, and presenting cases to judges that demonstrate why setting aside records serves justice and rehabilitation.

Unlawful Entry

Unlawful entry involves entering private property without permission or authority. This misdemeanor offense commonly arises from trespassing allegations, disputes over property rights, or situations where defendants claim they believed they had permission to be on the property. We defend by demonstrating consent to entry, showing defendants had lawful business on the property, challenging identification evidence, and presenting circumstances that negate criminal intent.

Fraud

Fraud charges cover various schemes to obtain money or property through false pretenses, including credit card fraud, identity theft, forgery, and financial scams. These cases often involve complex paper trails and financial records that require careful analysis. We defend by challenging evidence of intent to defraud, demonstrating that defendants believed representations were truthful, showing that alleged victims weren’t actually deceived, and negotiating restitution agreements that may reduce penalties.

When should I hire a criminal defense attorney in Lansing?

Contact a criminal defense lawyer immediately after arrest or as soon as you learn you’re under investigation. Early legal representation protects you from making damaging statements, preserves crucial evidence, and ensures police and prosecutors respect your constitutional rights. The sooner we start working on your case, the more options we have to achieve the best possible outcome.