Archives: FAQs
Learn more about this topic in depth on our board certification page Both Clint Broden and Mick Mickelsen are board certified in both criminal law and criminal appellate law.
There is a substantial difference between the practice and procedures in federal court as opposed to state court. Sentencing in Federal court is usually done according to complex sentencing guidelines. Generally Federal court is a much more formal legal environment than state court with many more procedural requirements. It also necessitates much more legal writing…
Former prosecutors will argue that experience from “the other side” is a valuable asset. On the other hand, many criminal defense lawyers were trained since the beginning of their careers to develop creative defenses that might not occur to a lawyer with a more prosecutorial frame of mind. Defense lawyers that never worked for the…
This is often a difficult situation. Most criminal defense lawyers charge a flat fee and are reluctant to return the fee after it is paid. If you find yourself in this situation, you should start by having a frank discussion with the lawyer, after all the lawyer works for you. Tell the lawyer why you…
When you hire a partnership, as opposed to a single lawyer, that means that all the partners in the firm have an interest in your case. Many times, you will find a lawyer who seeks to imply that they have associates working for them (for example “Smith and Associates”) when, in fact, they are sole…
Investigation is often a very important part of preparing a defense in a criminal case. A skilled investigator can often obtain information that could result in winning a trial or obtaining a more favorable plea bargain. Likewise, an expert witness can be invaluable in certain types of cases, especially in cases in which the prosecution…
View an in depth article on this topic in our blog.
Many “criminal” boutiques use associates (younger and often inexperienced attorneys) to help prepare cases for trial, review discovery, draft motions and/or draft briefs on appeal. Many times you think you are hiring an attorney only to find out you wind up dealing mostly with the attorney’s associate. Sometimes you will be told that the firm…
Broden & Mickelsen, LLP recognize that the practice of criminal law does not only take place from 9-5. It surprises us that so few attorneys provide their clients with their mobile telephone numbers so they can be reached in case of an emergency. At Broden & Mickelsen, LLP, our mobile phone numbers are on our…
Please read our blog post – Selecting A Criminal Defense Attorney.