Basalt, CO Criminal Defense Law Firms & Lawyers

In MIchigan what he is looking at depends upon the drug possessed. For example marihuana is typically treated less seriously than heroin or meth and the possible sentences are high for the heroin and meth. I would recommend your son to immediately retain an experienced and responsible criminal defense attorney.

Two different jobs. A public defender is a defense attorney appointed by the court. His or her job is to ethically represent the client to the best of his/her ability. That means that if the client is 100% guilty and something pops up that gets the case dismissed, the PD tells the court "have a good day" and walks out the door with his client. A district attorney is not an advocate. A district attorney is a "priest in the temple of justice," as one case put it. That means that the DA's job is not to convict but to do justice. So if a DA thinks someone is innocent, even if they think they can still get a conviction, they are ethically obligated to dismiss. Not that this happens terribly often; still, a good DA will take his responsibilities seriously. I have had good DA's dismiss cases when the facts or witnesses got dicey. This goes for evidence, too. The defense attorney does not have to share evidence he discovers which would incriminate his client, so long as he/she does not tamper with that evidence or purposely hide it. The DA, on the other hand, has an ethical and legal duty to give the defense all evidence which would help the defense case.