Case Results

Plea to a fifth degree assault. Mr. Adkins moves the needle again, getting a very conservative prosecutor from a tough jurisdiction to discount a broken skull, and significant injuries as a result of a needless punch (on video), even protecting the result from a last-minute effort by the State to withdraw and reinstate felony charges… Never hurts to have a litigator with three decades of experience and credibility to get matters to the finish line.

Plea to an amended count of failing to drive with due care and the DWI charges are dismissed. Another example of the North Star team not settling for the quick and easy outcome - a careless driving - and instead pushing for the even better outcome. It might not seem like much, but getting a failing to drive with due care may help avoiding termination of insurance coverage and it looks better on the criminal record because it is so atypical. There were no legal defense and no collateral issues to justify this outcome. It was simply us seeking the best possible deal and working hard to get it done.

Plea to an amended count of failing to drive with due care as a misdemeanor and all DWI counts were dismissed. Typically, on first-time DWI offenses, any plea to a non-DWI crime is to careless driving. But here at North Star, we push for better and often get it, such as in this case. For an individual going through the immigration system, achieving such a fantastic result was critical to his chances of successfully navigating the ever-evolving immigration laws. By taking the big picture approach and knowing how to push for the best possible deal - not just a sometimes easy to achieve careless driving - the North Star team is always fighting for our clients and getting the best results possible.

Shocking win, frankly, for a client who lost a jury trial with a different legal team… Having hired Mr. Adkins for the direct appeal, he convinced the client to seek a stay of any jail or other punitive aspects of the sentence until the appeal is finished. While these motions are somewhat commonly filed, they are rarely granted, as judges want defendants to immediately feel the impact of a conviction. However, here, Mr. Adkins was creative in the argument, and the judge overruled a very salty State’s objection, and permitted the client to continue with his effort to obtain a new trial, or to get the matter fully reversed on appeal. A signature win! If you or your loved one needs appellate practice, North Star is among the very best in the state at this work. Contact us immediately—the timelines on appeal, and for post-conviction relief, are very tight, and jurisdictional in nature.

Stay of adjudication. This was an odd case, to say the least. The client purchased a product from a local Menards that technically qualified as bait to lure deer to their campsite. Admittedly, this is not the most serious of cases. But the client is in the military with a distinguished career. A spotless record was not in jeopardy due to a simple misunderstanding. And the County Attorney was initially pushing back on any outcome other than a conviction. Stressing the possible impact to his military career, the North Star team got the great outcome to avoid a conviction and limit any possible consequence to his military career.

This matter, concerning counts with mandatory prison components, was resolved as a durational departure to a Gross Misdemeanor, with a minimal term of probation and stayed jail, versus a long stint on work release. Client, who had a prior felony DUI conviction, busted his ass to get sober and to verify his return to a lawful life, stunned his judge and prosecutor with his orientation and accountability. This is our favorite work, pulling a victory from sure defeat, as usual—but with a human being at the center, getting right and recovering and becoming a better person, in the process.