When you’re charged with a crime in Wyoming or South Dakota—whether it’s a misdemeanor, DUI, traffic offense, or a serious felony—the court issues a summons or notice that requires you to appear at a specific date and time. Missing that court date has immediate and serious consequences in both states, including arrest warrants, bond forfeiture,…
Overcharging in a criminal case refers to a tactic used by law enforcement in which the police and prosecutor add additional charges against a defendant that they may or may not be able to prove if the case went to trial. Law enforcement does this to put themselves in a better position to plea bargain….
History of Miranda Rights — Who Was Ernesto Miranda? Ernesto Miranda was a laborer who in 1963 was arrested and charged with the kidnapping and rape of Lois Ann Jameson. The victim’s brother had given police a description of Miranda’s truck, and reported seeing it to police in Phoenix, Arizona. Miranda was arrested and taken…
If you’ve been charged with assault in Wyoming, you may be wondering whether your employer will find out about your criminal charge, and whether you are obligated to tell your employer about it. You Are Only Obligated to Inform Your Employer About a Criminal Charge in Certain Circumstances In the American legal system, you are innocent until…
Criminal defense lawyers are a funny lot – we spend an awful lot of time thinking and talking and arguing about whether our clients are guilty. But oddly enough, we’re probably the last people who are concerned with whether you actually did what the police and prosecution claim you did. Of course, this isn’t to…
If you’ve been arrested and charged with a DWUI in Wyoming, the stakes are high. Possible consequences include hefty fines and possible jail time. Depending on the circumstances, a DWUI conviction could even cost you your job. With so much at stake, you need to be sure you’ve hired the best Wyoming criminal defense attorney…
It’s considered one of the most difficult questions a criminal defense lawyer faces in preparing for a trial — should your client testify? In actuality, except for in a few cases, the question, “Should a criminal defendant testify?” is pretty straightforward. Why My Clients Rarely Testify As a Wyoming criminal defense attorney, I can count…
I consider trial by jury as the only anchor ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution. ~ Thomas Jefferson If you’ve been accused of a crime in Wyoming and choose to take your case to trial, you will have an important choice to make…
A criminal trial is the most high-profile part of any criminal case. Less than 10% of cases nationally actually go to trial. Most are resolved before trial through a plea bargain. Of course, as a former prosecutor and now as a Wyoming criminal defense lawyer, I have spent more than 15 years in the court…
“It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffers.” These words, written in 1765 by English judge William Blackstone, stand for the idea that anyone accused of a crime is presumed innocent, and that to find someone guilty the prosecution must prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. More than 250…
