Tina and her friends were enjoying a beautiful fall day in Ann Arbor when they were caught with open containers of alcohol while walking around. As a college student with a bright future ahead, Tina was worried about the potential impact of a criminal record on her career prospects and overall reputation.  Her stomach was in a knot all day while going to the football game because she was worried about what was going to happen to her sterling record, her hard work and her dreams for after college. 

Tina decided to work with Jonathan, a criminal defense attorney who specialized in defending against tailgate offenses like open container tickets. Together, they developed a plan to demonstrate Tina's remorse and willingness to learn from the incident. They worked to negotiate with the prosecutor to secure a favorable outcome and minimize the impact on Tina's future.  Tina worked hard each day on steps to show she can learn from her choice with the open container and make better decisions; her ticket didnt make her a bad person and the outcome avoided making her a criminal. 

Thanks to Jonathan's expertise and guidance, Tina was able to avoid a criminal record and move forward with his life. He learned a valuable lesson about the importance of responsible drinking and being mindful of his actions in public spaces.  Jonathan has worked out 100's of similar outcomes with the City of Ann Arbor Prosecutor at the 15th District Court.  All cases are unique and different, but if a client is willing to work hard, best outcomes are possible.

Justice Center
301 E. Huron, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
PO Box 8650
(734) 794-6759
Honorable Karen Q. Valvo
Honorable Miriam A. Perry
Magistrate Garwood

​Jared and his friends were enjoying a tailgate party in Ann Arbor during a football weekend when they were caught walking around with open containers of alcohol. Jared, a college student with a bright future ahead, was worried about the potential impact of a criminal record on his career prospects and overall reputation. They received tickets from the police which summoned them to court within 10 days of receiving the ticket.  They were very worried about what was going to happen; the process itself left a knot in their stomach.  

Jared decided to work with Jonathan, a criminal defense attorney who specialized in defending against gameday offenses like open container tickets. Together, they developed a plan to demonstrate Jared's remorse and willingness to learn from the incident. They worked to negotiate with the prosecutor to secure a favorable outcome and minimize the impact on Jared's future.  Jared went from scared of the unknown to focused on the known; show who you really are; learn and grow and make better choices on gameday going forward.  This ticket did not make him a bad person and in the end did not make him a criminal.

Thanks to Jonathan's expertise and guidance, Jared was able to avoid a criminal record and move forward with his life. He learned a valuable lesson about the importance of responsible drinking and being mindful of his actions in public spaces.  Jonathan has worked out 100's of similar outcomes with the City of Ann Arbor Prosecutor at the 15th District Court.  All cases are unique and different, but if a client is willing to work hard, best outcomes are possible.

Justice Center
301 E. Huron, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
PO Box 8650
(734) 794-6759
Honorable Karen Q. Valvo
Honorable Miriam A. Perry
Magistrate Garwood

Defending Fake ID Charges in Ann Arbor: Your Guide to the 15th District Court Legal Process

​Mike was a sophomore at the University of Michigan. He made the mistake of using a fake ID to get into Scorekeepers in Ann Arbor and was caught by the police. As someone with no prior criminal history and a bright future ahead, Mike was understandably concerned about the potential impact of a criminal record on his career opportunities.

Mike decided to work with Jonathan, a criminal defense attorney who specialized in helping clients with tailgate offenses like fake ID charges. Together, they developed a plan to demonstrate Mike's remorse and willingness to learn from the incident. They also worked to negotiate with the prosecutor to secure a favorable outcome and minimize the impact on Mike's future career.

Thanks to Jonathan's expertise and guidance, Mike was able to avoid a criminal record and move forward with his career. He learned an important lesson about the consequences of his actions and was grateful for Jonathan's proactive and empathetic approach to his case.  Jonathan has worked out 100's of favorable deals in the past with the City of Ann Arbor Prosecuting Attorney at the 15th District Court. 
​
Justice Center
301 E. Huron, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
PO Box 8650

Magistrate Garwood
Honorable Karen Q. Valvo
Honorable Miriam A. Perry

Lessons Learned: David's Experience with a Fake ID Charge at Ann Arbor's 15th District Court

David was a recent graduate from the University of Michigan, and was excited to start his career in the business world. However, his plans were put on hold when he was charged with possession of a fake ID in Ann Arbor. David was worried about how this would impact his future job opportunities and career prospects.

David reached out to Jonathan, an experienced criminal defense attorney who had helped many clients in similar situations. Jonathan worked with David to develop a proactive plan to move forward and minimize the potential consequences of the charges.

Together, they explored David's goals and aspirations, and Jonathan helped him understand the potential impact of a criminal record on his career. They worked to secure a favorable outcome, and Jonathan negotiated with the prosecutor to have the charges reduced to a lesser offense. David completed community service, alcohol education classes, support group meeting and other impactful steps and was able to avoid a criminal record.  Jonathan has worked out 100's of favorable outcomes with the City of Ann Arbor prosecutor who respect his approach and his clients earn these outcomes. 

With Jonathan's help, David was able to learn from the experience and move forward with his life. He was able to secure a job in the business world and pursue his career aspirations, with no negative impact on his future opportunities.

Justice Center
301 E. Huron, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
PO Box 8650

Magistrate Garwood
Honorable Karen Q. Valvo
Honorable Miriam A. Perry

When charged with a crime in Michigan, you're left standing in the middle of a dance floor with the police, judge, prosecutor, probation and your friends and family staring at you with their arms crossed.  They might be in shock at the crime you committed, and you're being judged on the drunk driving incident, and only that incident.  To be judged on the four corners of the police report leaves you with no place to go.  

What dance move could you pull off to get the heat off your back, and to change the perception of yourself post-incident? That's a huge challenge, and very difficult.  But what if there was another way?

What if we simply changed the song? That's exactly what I do for my clients who are charged with drunk driving in Michigan.  We adopt a proactive approach and lead with empathy, and a growth mindset. ​

1. Take a deep breath; there is nothing you can do in the moment, go enjoy the game or the rest of your night; if its late, go to bed.  If you wish to take touch with an attorney, send me an email jonathan@michiganlawgrad.com or text/call me 248-924-9458.  You can send me a copy of the ticket; get that off your plate.

2. Once you regroup that evening or the next day, you will see a text reply or email reply letting you know that your case is manageable and everything is going to be OK.  You are where 100's of my clients have been in the past, and every single one of them had a favorable result if they followed my plan.

3.  In the coming days, I will give you a few proactive steps to take on your own time to improve your case, and help me help you figure out a great outcome.

4.  Our goal is to keep you from having a criminal record; that is a possible; it's also possible to have you excused from court, or to join court via zoom. 

5. This case does not need to have long-term consequences on your life; you're successful, and having a criminal record over an isolated moment in time is not equitable.  Believe in common sense; lean in on telling your story; this case will not define you.  

​I have represented 100's of students and Michigan fans who are ticketed on gameday for various offenses, here are the five most important steps to take once ticketed:

1. Take a deep breath; there is nothing you can do in the moment, go enjoy the game.  If you wish to take touch with an attorney, send me an email jonathan@michiganlawgrad.com or text/call me 248-924-9458.  You can send me a copy of the ticket; get that off your plate.

2. Once you regroup that evening or the next day, you will see a text reply or email reply letting you know that your case is manageable and everything is going to be OK.  You are where 100's of my clients have been in the past, and every single one of them had a favorable result if they followed my plan.

3.  In the coming days, I will give you a few proactive steps to take on your own time to improve your case, and help me help you figure out a great outcome.

4.  Our goal is to keep you from having a criminal record; that is a possible; it's also possible to have you excused from court, or to join court via zoom. 

5. This case does not need to have long-term consequences on your life; you're successful, and having a criminal record over an isolated moment in time is not equitable.  Believe in common sense; lean in on telling your story; this case will not define you.  

I have represented 100's of students and Michigan fans who are ticketed on gameday weekends for various offenses, here ae the five most important steps to take once ticketed:

1. Take a deep breath; there is nothing you can do in the moment, go enjoy the game; its if late at night, go to bed.  If you wish to take touch with an attorney, send me an email jonathan@michiganlawgrad.com or text/call me 248-924-9458.  You can send me a copy of the ticket; get that off your plate.

2. Once you regroup that evening or the next day, you will see a text reply or email reply letting you know that your case is manageable and everything is going to be OK.  You are where 100's of my clients have been in the past, and every single one of them had a favorable result if they followed my plan.

3.  In the coming days, I will give you a few proactive steps to take on your own time to improve your case, and help me help you figure out a great outcome.

4.  Our goal is to keep you from having a criminal record; that is a possible; it's also possible to have you excused from court, or to join court via zoom. 

5. This case does not need to have long-term consequences on your life; you're successful, and having a criminal record over an isolated moment in time is not equitable.  Believe in common sense; lean in on telling your story; this case will not define you.  ​

1. Its time to take a deep breath; you've just been ticketed or released from jail; you're on the internet looking for a solution.  It's time to do your research on what you're charged with; be educated, learn the penalties and consequences, and what is required to convict you of the offense.

2. Take some time to write down your thoughts about what happened; be honest with yourself; did you break the law? Was there a misunderstanding? Denying you did something that you did does not work; if you broke the law, own it at least to yourself for now.  You're going to drive yourself mad trying to defend something that you actually did; it's a mouse trap that is going to get you every time.

3. Here's the good news; it's ok to be guilty and still get a fantastic result; an outcome where you leave the case with potentially no criminal record in the long-run; you can avoid jail, keep your license, your job etc.

4. Decide if you want to lead with empathy and tell your story; if true, I am happy to share my approach; it will take too much time to type here, but  I will share that with you.  Call me 248-924-9458 or email me jonathan@michiganlawgrad.com
 
5. Set goals; realistic goals.  A realistic goal is not "I want this to go away with an apology"; that doesn't happen.  Let's be realistic; you were arrested, and you're charged with a crime, how do we get to A to Z and hit your goals.

Coming soon