Raymond Cassar and his associates provide
excellent, experienced criminal defense
on all felonies and misdemeanors. Their
team has handled all criminal matters throughout
the State of Michigan, in both State and
Federal courts.
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find out more information:
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Accosting and Soliciting
Many cities in the Metropolitan Area have
begun putting undercover decoys out on
the streets as a sting operation. Our firm
has represented many people arrested and
charged with this crime. Let us help you
through this difficult time.
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Arson
This category of offenses covers any intentional
burning of property whether real or personal
property. The reason(s) that people get
charged with Arson vary greatly from childish
pranks to intentional acts. Regardless
of the facts of the case, our office has
successfully represented numerous people
charged with this type of offense.
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Assault and Battery
This category is used to cover everything
form throwing a snowball at someone to
a bar room fight. Generally, local prosecuting
attorneys prosecute these offenses as misdemeanor
offense, but when there are aggravating
circumstances such as the use of a weapon
or the presence of an injury, the charges
can be enhanced to a felony charge depending
on the nature of the circumstances.
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Auto Theft
In Michigan, Auto Theft is classified
as an Unlawful Driving Away of an Automobile
(UDAA) and is a felony. The difference
between Auto Theft and the crime of Carjacking
turns on whether there was a driver or
passenger in the vehicle when the vehicle
was stolen. Our office has successfully
handled many cases involving Auto Theft
and can assist you if you have been charged
with this crime.
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Burglary
Traditionally, the crime of Burglary consisted
of breaking and entering into a dwelling
of another at nighttime with the intent
to commit a felony inside the dwelling.
Over the years, the crime of Burglary has
been redefined as Home Invasion and is
now broken down into various degrees depending
on the specific facts of each case. The
one thing that hasn't changed regarding
the crime formally known as Burglary is
the fact that it is the fact that it is
a very serious felony charge. We have handled
numerous Home Invasion cases and can certainly
help you if you have been charged with
this offense.
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Carjacking
The crime of carjacking is a subsection
of the crime of Robbery and requires the
use of force or coercion or the threat
of force or coercion in the theft of a
motor vehicle form another. The difference
between Carjacking and auto theft is that
the crime of Carjacking requires that the
owner, driver or passenger of the motor
vehicle be present when the vehicle is
taken. This crime carries a maximum penalty
of life in prison and is aggressively pursued
by the Prosecutor's Office. If you are
charged with the crime of Carjacking, you
need the assistance of an attorney with
years of experience in successfully handling
criminal cases that is why you need to
call us.
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Check Offenses/NSF Offenses
In today's society it is easy to make
mistakes in your checking account and easier
still to fall behind in you bills, but
in the area of Check Offenses it is incredibly
easy to take a bad situation and make it
worse. Generally, those who are charged
with these offenses have just temporarily
fallen on some bad times. However, when
you are charged with either a misdemeanor
or a felony, it can seem like your world
is crumbling around you. Let our team go
to work to help dig you out and put you
back on your feet.
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Child Abuse
Prosecutors have been using this area
of the law more now then ever in an effort
to protect children from harm. However,
what many prosecutors fail to realize is
that many of the children that make allegations
of abuse, are acting out as a result of
a divorce that is on going. Some children
are using allegations of abuse to get attention.
Other times allegations are planted in
a child's mind by one parent in the hope
of gaining an advantage in a custody proceeding.
These cases are truly difficult because
emotions usually run high on both sides.
Such a high level of emotions can prevent
all parties from thinking clearly. Our
office has dealt with many of these cases
and understands all aspects, including
the intense emotions involved.
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Credit Card Fraud
Many jurisdictions are paying an increasing
level of attention to this category of
crime due to pressures coming from retail
and credit card companies that lose money
in the majority of these cases. This offense
is also being aggressively pursued as a
result of damage that can occur to the
victim's credit score.
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Criminal Charges Against Corporations
In Michigan, a Corporation is a separate
entity and as such needs an attorney to
represent its interest under the law. This
becomes increasingly important with construction
companies getting criminally charged when
employees are hurt on the job. When you
are already grieving over the injury to
a coworker or employee, you are not thinking
clearly and need to be able to rely on
someone who has been through it before.
Let our attorneys help your company through
those difficult times.
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Criminal Sexual Conduct (Rape and Molestation)
The crime of Criminal Sexual Conduct (CSC)
is broken into 4 degrees depending on the
age of the alleged victim and whether penetration
occurred. Many years ago, the State of
Michigan set the age of consent for sexual
activity at 16 years of age. Thus anyone
below 16 years of age cannot legally consent
to sexual activity. With the advent of
the Internet and computers, children are
learning about sex earlier then ever before.
Sometimes then they get angry, they may
claim that a relative touched them inappropriately.
The general belief of those who prosecute
these crimes is that children do not know
about sex unless they have been molested.
You need someone in your corner that is
familiar with these issues and are skilled
in dealing with sex offense cases and the
Sexual Offenders Registry.
A person convicted of Criminal Sexual
Conduct not only faces the possibility
of life imprisonment, but also the humiliating
prospect of being placed on the Sex Offender
Registry. An individual convicted of Criminal
Sexual Conduct may be placed on the Registry
for life. The consequences of having to
register as a sex offender may impact employment,
educational opportunities, living arrangements,
family cohesiveness and a loss of privacy.
If you are accused of Criminal Sexual Conduct,
you need to speak with our team of attorneys
who can help you, no matter how serious
the charges are.
With a maximum penalty of life in prison,
Criminal Sexual Conduct is a very serious
crime. Judges and Prosecutors are under
tremendous pressure from the public to
press for the maximum penalties. This pressure
produces charges and convictions against
individuals that have been wrongly accused.
Without the help of an attorney that specializes
in defending against this charge, an individual
may be convicted based on false accusations.
The Law Offices of Raymond A. Cassar,
P.L.C., specializes in handling these difficult
cases and has an excellent track record
in helping those accused.
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Domestic Violence
Domestic Violence is a 93-day misdemeanor
to a 5-year felony depending on the previous
history of the charged individual. This
offense requires a previous relationship
with the alleged victim, such as a chilled
in common, residing in the same household,
or a family member. These cases are difficult
due to the high level of emotions usually
involved and the long lasting implication
that a conviction could have on many of
the accused civil liberties.
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Driver's License Restoration
After October 1, 1999, the rules for license
restorations drastically changed and not
all of the changes were for the better.
It is now easier to get your license revoked
for Drunk Driving (but the Driver's License
Appeal Division ÒDLADÓ is not easing the
standards by which licenses are granted.)
By the DLAD's own statistics approximately
50% of all applicants are denied. Many
of the denials prevent an applicant from
reapplying for one full year. When you
are eligible for a DLAD hearing, you can't
afford to make a mistake. You need to have
an attorney review all the paperwork you
submit to the DLAD. The paperwork submitted
to the DLAD will be reviewed by every hearing
officer you appear before until your license
is reinstated. This means that if there
is something in your file that should not
be there it will haunt you in every subsequent
hearing.
If you have been convicted of a charge
of OUIL, UBAL, DWLS, etc. after October
1, 1999, and the conviction resulted in
a revocation of your driving privileges,
you will not be eligible to get a license
of any kind until the period of revocation
has been satisfied. This means that you
will not have a license for any purpose-including
transportation to your place of employment.
Our office has been consistently successful
in getting licenses restored. Let our attorneys
get you back on the road.
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Driving Offenses
The Law Offices of Raymond A. Cassar,
P.L. C. has handled all types of traffic
offenses from speeding tickets to Negligent
Homicide. If you or a friend has received
a driving offense, call our office and
we will get you back on track. Unfortunately,
many people try to save money and handle
these cases on their own, only not have
to spend more money at a later time to
fix the situation they have created. You
should at least consult with an attorney
before trying to handle a driving offense
on your own. What you must remember is
that there are more ramifications then
just the sanctions imposed by the Court.
There is the impact on your driving privileges,
license, automobile insurance, and driving
record. For those individuals that drive
a vehicle for a living or rely on their
license to take them to and form work,
employment issues must be taken into consideration.
Take advantage of our free consultations
before taking any action on a driving offense.
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Drug Violations - All Types (Possession/Delivery/Manufacture;
cocaine, marijuana, heroin, LSD, GHB, ecstasy,
KAT, ice, methamphetamines)
Our offices has successfully represented
countless defendants on drug charges, for
possession of as little a couple stems
or seeds and up to as much as over 650
grams. Our attorneys have represented people
who have been charged with the manufacturing,
delivering, selling, and using just about
any kind of drug in circulation today.
We specialize in representing people being
charged in multiple state conspiracies.
We are use to discrediting snitches and
mules, which are aiding the police in your
prosecution.
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Drunk Driving (Automobile/Boat/Snowmobile)
As you may have
heard, the State of Michigan has made
some sweeping changes in the Drunk Driving
Laws and the Driving While License Suspended
(DWLS) Laws, including forfeiture of
the vehicle. For an in-depth explanation
of the Drunk Driving Laws in Michigan,
please click on the Drunk Driving Update
Page. You can find a wealth of information
on the "Drunk
Driving Info & Advice" page.
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Embezzlement
Our firm has successfully prevented many
criminal charges in Embezzlement and Fraud
cases through negotiations with former
employers of our clients. Let us put our
experience to work for you.
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Expungement of Criminal Records
Michigan Law allows
for a person to "expunge" or
set aside one and only one conviction after
five (5) years have passed from the date
of your conviction. If you were convicted
of more than one crime you will not be
eligible for an expungement. The expungement
process is completely discretionary on
the part of the Judge.
However, you would be surprised how many
convictions do not appear on the Criminal
History Reports. Let us run your record
and see what is on it before you make a
decision to start the process.
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Federal Offenses
When the Federal Government comes after
you it is time to get help from a team
of criminal attorneys. Our firm combines
legal talent and experience in Federal
Courts throughout the State of Michigan.
The Federal Law allows us to handle cases
in other states. This has proven beneficial
to many of our Michigan clients who get
wrapped up in large conspiracies in other
states.
The Federal Government has unlimited resources
when it comes to prosecuting an individual.
Our firm has the resources and the determination
to fight back and protect our client's
rights.
If you are a target of a federal investigation,
call us; we can give you the advice you
need to ultimately protect you down the
road.
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Forfeiture Issues
If you receive a forfeiture notice, you
only have 21 days to post the bond on the
property if you want to contest the taking
of the property. Failure to act within
that time period makes it almost impossible
to get your property back from the police.
If you have questions about forfeiture
paperwork you have received or need someone
to represent your interest during forfeiture
proceedings, contact our office as soon
as possible.
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Fraud:
Credit Card Fraud
The fast pace of
technology has given law enforcement
the ability to track down these offenders
quite sufficiently. Credit Card companies
suffer such huge losses through fraudulent
transactions, that they too have their
own "cyber teams" that investigate
and track down offenders. The credit card
companies have unlimited resources and
once they catch offenders they insist on
full restitution and the costs they expended
on catching the individual. Our firm uses
the same technology to successfully defend
our clients accused of this crime.
Insurance Fraud
There are all types of insurance fraud
cases. Some carry up to 20 years in prison
depending on the amount of the fraud. These
cases are highly specialized and are best
handled by a firm that specializes in criminal
law. Having an inexperienced attorney may
save you some money, but they cannot give
you the peace of mind that a firm like
ours can. We often deal with the insurance
investigators before charges are brought
so that we can avoid a felony conviction.
If you are under investigation for any
fraud matter, the best advice is not to
talk to any investigators until you have
spoken to an attorney who handles these
cases. Most convictions result from confessions
that are made from individuals who find
themselves way over their heads. You should
always ask to speak to an attorney first.
Not only will this give you time to clear
your head but having an experienced attorney
work for you may uncover options you were
not aware of.
Prescription Fraud
The penalties for
prescription fraud offenses would stun
most people. Prescription Fraud is on
the rise and the government has used
technology to track down violators. Many
people charged with this offense have substance
abuse problems and commit the offense in
order to "self medicate". Our office has
a two-step approach in dealing with these
cases. First, we want to get our clients
into a substance abuse program. This gives
the courts solid reasons not to incarcerate
the individual. Secondly, we try to avoid
a formal conviction whenever possible.
We have had great success in handling these
cases all over the state.
Title Fraud
Have you ever sold a car but underreported
the value of the sale to the Secretary
of State? Trying to avoid the taxes on
a title transfer is a felony in the State
of Michigan.
If you sold a car recently that the Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN) has been altered,
that is a felony.
If you have rolled back the odometer,
that is a felony.
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Gambling Violations
With the additions of 3 new casinos in
the Detroit area there has been a series
of new laws to address gambling violations.
Our office has successfully represented
people charged with capping, pinching,
or otherwise altering their bets as well
as a host of other gambling violations.
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Home Invasions
Depending on the occupancy of the home,
this can be a 15 to 20 year offense. Stealing
items from an attached garage carries the
same stiff penalties as breaking into the
home itself.
For over 18 years we have successfully
represented people accused of this crime.
Call us so we can get you in the right
direction.
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Identity Theft
Stealing an individual's identity is a
serious offense that the government is
cracking down on. The penalties are high
and the courts are happy to teach offenders
a long lesson.
Whether it involves
credit card theft or use of another's
identity to avoid creditors, our firm
understands the "ins" and "outs" of
this crime and has handled several cases
with great results. Entrusting a law firm
that has experience makes a big difference
in and out of the courtroom.
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Internet Offenses/Pornography/Solicitation
With the recent addition of Internet service
in many County Sheriff Departments throughout
the State, we are seeing more and more
charges stemming from activity on the Internet.
Commonly, people are being charged with
possessing child pornography, or speaking
with underage individuals about sexual
acts.
The Internet is a good way to meet people,
but if the person you are speaking with is
under the age of 18 years, then you have
potential criminal liability. Just about
every County has a task force that is out
monitoring activity on the Internet, including
the Attorney General's Office. Our office
has helped people charged with everything
from possession of child pornography, manufacturing
of child pornography, to enticing a minor
to meet for sexual acts. A new trend in the
area of Computer Crimes is placing software
programs on someone's hard drive to watch
their activities on their computer. These
cases are generally prosecuted by the Attorney
Generals Office in the State Courts. If you
tried to catch your girlfriend or wife cheating
on you by watching her computer, you should
contact our staff of attorneys to know your
rights before the police come to your house
with a search warrant to take your computer
as evidence.
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Juvenile Offenses
The Juvenile Justice System can be very
intimidating for a parent and our attorneys
understand this very well. When first presented
with the petition that orders you to appear
for a hearing date, many parents become
overwhelmed with the fear that the Court
will take away their child. Our attorneys
have been defending juveniles for years
and are familiar with the different procedure
of each county.
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Larceny and Theft
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Malicious Destruction of Property
This category of offenses covers any intentional
damage to property whether real or personal
and includes damage to lawns, shrubs, and
trees. The reasons that people are charged
with this offense vary greatly from a childish
prank to intentional acts. Regardless of
how it happened, our office has successfully
represented hundreds of people charged
with this type of offense.
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Manslaughter
Manslaughter is broken down into two categories:
Voluntary Manslaughter and Involuntary
Manslaughter. Our office has handled a
variety of cases involving the death of
an individual and we can help you through
this terrifying and traumatic time.
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Money Laundering
In essence, Money Laundering occurs when
money is derived from criminal activity
and then funneled through legitimate sources
in an attempt to hide the fact that the
money came from criminal activity. A related
issue to the crime of Money Laundering
is the area of Forfeiture. In many cases,
the State of Michigan or the Federal Government
will take large sums of money from those
individuals charged with this crime by
alleging that the money is the result of
criminal enterprise. If you are charged
with Money Laundering you will need an
attorney who is well versed in the area
of both Criminal and Civil Forfeiture.
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Murder
The crime of Murder is broken down into
various categories under Michigan law.
For example, one can be charged with First
Degree Murder (premeditated), Second Degree
Murder, Manslaughter, Negligent Homicide,
Open Murder and Felony Murder. Each of
the charges are extremely serious and it
is important to have an experienced criminal
attorney to determine if any exculpatory
defenses or justification defenses are
present in your case.
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Negligent Homicide
Typically the charge of Negligent Homicide
is made when an individual dies as the
result of the negligent operation of a
motor vehicle. For example, if while driving
an individual hits another person with
a vehicle, the charge could be Negligent
Homicide. This crime also applies to a
death which occurred accidentally but where
the individual that caused the death was
acting in a negligent manner at the time
the death occurred.
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NSF Offenses (Non-Sufficient Funds)
You cannot be charged criminally for bouncing
a check unless the prosecution can show
that you wrote the check knowing there
was not enough money in the account to
cover the amount of the check. There are
several ways the prosecutors have used
to assist them in their burden of proof.
First they require that person that received
the bounce check to give the writer of
the check notice that they will prosecute
if the check has not been made good within
5-10 days. Sometimes a NSF charge is the
result of an elaborate system of deposits
and withdraws from numerous banks and accounts
that utilize the inherent delays within
the banking system to accomplish the accumulation
of large sums of money. However, this system
can only been used for a short time before
the banks will catch on to its use. Whether
you are charged with a first offense or
have participated in a complicated system
of check fraud, our attorneys can help.
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Prescription Fraud
Nearly everyone charged with this crime
has a drug addiction and obtains or alters
a prescription to obtain their drug of
choice. Let us find the help you need to
get you through the legal system without
any long lasting side effects.
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Probation Violations
Proper representation
in Probation Violations is critical.
Judges have been taking the approach
that it is necessary to provide a "wake up call" to
the probationer, which usually means
jail. Our office approaches every probation
violation with two things in mind. First,
to minimize the punishment for the violation,
and secondly, to take proper steps to
make sure there is not an additional
violation in the future.
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Prostitution
Many cities will
charge you if you aid a known prostitute
by giving them "shelter" in
your vehicle. Our firm has successfully
defended not only those who work in the
industry of prostitution, but also those
who happen to be found in close proximity
to prostitutes when the police arrive.
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Road Rage
Road Rage cases are generally high profile
media cases. The media likes these cases
because there is usually a devastating
crash involved and a serious injury to
one of the parties. When you are in this
type of situation you don't need or want
someone who is unfamiliar with this type
of crime. Your freedom, as well as your
ability to drive is at stake.
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Robbery and Burglary
The crime of Robbery is broken down into
two main categories: Armed Robbery vs.
Unarmed Robbery. Both Armed and Unarmed
Robbery are felonies in the State of Michigan.
If you are charged with this type of crime,
it is crucial to have an experienced attorney
who has successfully handled these cases
in the past.
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Search Warrant Issues
The last couple of years have been filled
with numerous new court case decisions,
which have changed the way in which police
execute search warrants. For years the
police were required to knock and announce
their presence before entering a premises
under the authority of the search warrant.
That is no longer required. The police
were also required to leave a copy of the
search warrant and affidavit before they
left the search location. That is not necessarily
required as a result of the new decisions.
When you are in trouble you don't want
to pay someone to learn about search warrants.
You want someone that knows how the Courts
are going to react as well as how the prosecutors
will likely respond.
When you are in trouble you don't want
to pay someone to learn about search warrants.
You want someone that knows how the Courts
are going to react as well as how the prosecutors
will likely respond. Many of our cases
have had issues go up the Michigan Supreme
Court.
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Title Fraud/Odometer Fraud
Trying to avoid the taxes on a title transfer
is a felony in the State of Michigan. If
you sold a car recently and the Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN) has been altered,
that is a felony. Also, if you have rolled
back the odometer, that is a felony. When
you are facing a felony you need our twenty
years of experience at your side. Let our
office help you.
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Sex Crimes
There are all types of crimes involving
sex. Whether it is date rape, prostitution
or internet pornography, our firm handles
more of these cases than most other firms.
These are the kind of cases where having
our experienced staff of attorneys can
mean the difference between freedom and
spending the rest of your life behind bars.
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Union Rights
Pursuant to 29 U.S.C. § 504(a), a person
convicted of or served any part of a prison
term resulting from his conviction of robbery,
bribery, extortion, embezzlement, grand
larceny, burglary, arson, violation of
narcotics laws, murder, rape, assault with
intent to kill, assault which inflicts
grievous bodily injury, any felony involving
abuse or misuse of such person's position
or employment in a labor organization or
employee plan to seek or obtain an illegal
gain at the expense of the members of the
labor organization or the beneficiaries
of the employee benefit plan, or conspiracy
to commit any such crimes cannot participate
in any capacity within a labor union for
thirteen years after date of sentencing
or release from imprisonment, whichever
is later to a lesser period (not less than
three years after date of conviction or
release from imprisonment, whichever is
later).
In enacting section
504(a), Congress sought "to
eliminate or prevent improper practices
on the part of labor organizations, employers,
labor relations consultants, and their
officers and representatives which distort
and defeat the policies of the [LMRDA]." 29
U.S.C. § 401(c); see also United Union
of Roofers, Union No. 33 v. Meese, 823
F.2d 652, 655 (1st Cir. 1987) ("[Congress]
intended to create 'strong barriers against
the control of unions by unreformed convicted
thieves, racketeers, and thugs.'") (quoting
Senator Kennedy, 105 Cong. Rec. 7021 (1959)).
Claudio v United States DOL (2001, SD NY)
137 F Supp 2d at 410.
Before granting an exemption from the
statutory disqualification, the district
court must hold a hearing and provide notice
to the Secretary of Labor and to state
and federal prosecutors in the relevant
geographic area. 29 U.S.C. § 504(a).
The applicable sentencing guideline provides
that:
"relief shall not be given to
aid rehabilitation, but may be granted
only following a clear demonstration by
the convicted person that he or she has
been rehabilitated since commission of
the disqualifying crime and can therefore
be trusted not to endanger the organization
in the position for which he or she seeks
relief from disability." U.S. Sentencing
Guidelines Manual § 5J1.1 (2000).
Our office has successfully restored the
right to serve as an elected official in
a labor union to someone convicted of the
crimes listed above. There are to phases
that a person who wishes to have this right
restored must fulfill. The process is lengthy
and requires filing papers in both State
and Federal Courts, but you should not
be intimidated.
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Voting Rights
One of the most common misconceptions
that people who have been convicted of
a felony have is that they are unable to
vote or sit for jury service. The right
to vote is restored upon release from incarceration
pursuant to Michigan Compiled Law 168.758b.
A felon is disqualified from jury service
only during the period of his sentence,
pursuant to Michigan Compiled Law 600.1307a(1)(e),
but he may nonetheless be challenged for
cause based on his conviction.
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Weapons Offenses
This area of the
criminal practice has become more and
more important since many county prosecutors
are adopting a "no plea
bargain" approach to weapons offenses.
If you are going into a trial with weapons
charges against you, you need someone that
knows what argument to make to the jury.
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White Collar Crime
These are generally
paper oriented criminal offenses that
would include fraudulent contact performance,
embezzlement, issuance of junk bonds
and the like. Our offices handle a wide
variety of "paper" crimes
and is ready to assist you.
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All Other Criminal Offenses
When a law firm specializes in criminal
law, they provide you with the added benefit
of quickly being able to assess your situation
and provide you with a plan of action.
You do not want to hire an attorney who
plans on learning the law while he represents
you on your criminal case.
No matter what criminal charge is brought
against you, you want to know that you
are in good hands with a team of attorneys
that give you straight answers. The firm
that represents you should be very familiar
with the particular jurisdiction where
your case is being handled. They should
be able to explain things to you at your
first consultation and should give you
the confidence that they have successfully
handled this type of case before.
If you are in trouble or you have been
arrested, we encourage you to call our
office and speak to one of our experienced
criminal attorneys. We can give you peace
of mind by explaining the court procedures
to you and we can ease many of your fears
by giving you detailed information on how
your case will be handled.
Our firm never charges for initial consultations.
We are good at what we do because we love
what we do. We always treat every client
with respect and never try to judge him
or her for the mistake they have made.
We all make mistakes. Our firm helps you
try to undo those mistakes, so you can
get back on the right path.
If you wish to speak to an attorney who
has expertise in criminal law and who cares
about the people they represent, call the
Law Offices of Raymond A. Cassar.
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