Criminal Defense Attorney: What are your best options?

by David A. Cmelik Law PLC 

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David A. Cmelik Law PLC specializes in criminal defense cases. Criminal cases are prosecutions that begin with an arrest and end with a jury trial or a plea bargain. Police make arrests and prosecutors review those arrests to determine the appropriate criminal code sections that may apply. Police officers cannot prosecute; they are mere witnesses once the case has begun. A prosecutor must initiate a criminal case by filing a criminal lawsuit, or, indictment. In Iowa, indictments are called "Trial Informations" because the prosecutor signs the document with the formal signature closing, "A True Information," as you would sign a letter, "Sincerely yours." A trial information has the word "trial" in it because the default assumption is that every prosecution will result in a jury trial.

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Your criminal defense attorney will review the prosecution's interpretation of the Iowa criminal code, the Iowa Rules of Criminal Procedure, and the Iowa Rules of Evidence. Criminal cases are not the same thing as a traffic citation, a divorce, or an immigration case. For example, DUI, called Operating While Intoxicated in Iowa, is an indictable criminal offense. It is not a mere traffic violation. That's why we recommend you hire a lawyer specializing in criminal law to handle your DUI case.

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To the right are several classifications of criminal offenses in Iowa as well as a break down in what happens in a criminal prosecution. Please take a moment to review those. 

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Then, if you or a loved one has been arrested for OWI (DUI) or any criminal charge in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Anamosa, Vinton, Waterloo, or anywhere else in Linn, Johnson, Jones, Benton, Black Hawk, or other Iowa counties, please contact David A. Cmelik Law PLC, 319-389-1889, http://www.daclawfirm.com, for a free initial consultation today. We want to help you find your best possible options and assist you on your path back to life before prosecution.

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Remember, however, that a blog is not legal advice and no attorney-client relationship is established by reading a blog or sending unsolicited information to an attorney over the Internet.  

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