Case Results

Plea to an amended count of Careless Driving. The client blew a .12 and had no legal defenses. Typically, anything above a .10 is too high to get a non-DWI outcome, especially with a prosecutor known to be less forgiving with DWI's. Nonetheless, the North Star team set out to achieve a much-needed result for the client. Focused humanizing the client - by highlighting her challenging divorce at the time, her future career and the impact to it caused by a DWI, and her proactive steps - we were able to convince the prosecutor to make a deviation and obtain this rare outcome. The North Star team fought like hell in negotiations and got this fantastic outcome for a deserving client.

Dismissed on the morning of trial. The client was wrongly accused of being in physical control of a vehicle, when he instead was merely a passenger with his buddy as they were using the vehicle to stay warm and find a sober ride home. Armed with a strong defense for trial, the client refused all offers, even when they kept improving on the doorstep of trial. Ready for his day in court and for a jury to find in his favor, the State finally dismissed the case. Understandably, a huge win for a deserving client. And it goes to show, being prepared and willing to take on a trial can lead to great results, even without a trial actually starting.

Update: The North Star team successfully litigated the implied consent license revocation, arguing the client was not in physical control of the vehicle. The Judge agreed and gave the client back his driving privileges and his driving record will not have the equivalent of a DWI on his record. This is a complete win on all fronts by North Star.

Stunning result... Client already in prison, serving a parole violation, gets essentially time served, rather than a possible life sentence, in a high-profile murder case, without the requirement to testify on behalf of the State. A lifetime in defense work has left Mr. Adkins in position to negotiate from strength, but with compassion and verve--and it matters, for complex cases, and clients facing such massive draconian results. His family cannot wait to have him back, and now they will, and soon.

A couple visited North Star, agreed to work cooperatively and amicably, and got fully divorced in roughly six weeks... both parties treated fairly, documents on hand immediately, and the matter closed on time. In the rare instance of such an agreeable need, with or without ample property, children, etc., North Star can get you where you want to be. Our network of compatible and supportive attorney referrals is massive, for those matters that need special attention. If we can't help, we know who will... and more often than not, North Star has what you need.

Creative public nuisance resolution. This means the client received a stay of adjudication on a DWI and then was convicted of a public nuisance. The end result is only a conviction of public nuisance, while the DWI plea will be vacated and the charged dismissed after he completes probation. This is truly a remarkable outcome for a client facing a first-time DWI with a .14 alcohol reading. But, he earned it due to the nature of the circumstances, being unafraid to set this for trial, and doing the right things after the incident. Now, this resolution permits the client to avoid a DWI conviction and ensure he can keep pursuing his bright future in the school and coaching systems.

Plea to a single count of gross misdemeanor DWI. What makes this outcome so great is the sentence received. The client was dead to rights and had no legal defense. He had two prior DWI's within ten years and a high reading of .21 - this is often referred to as a Super-2 DWI. For a third-offense, the statutory mandate is for 30 days to be served in custody with 60 days on house arrest. Here, the client was sentenced to only 30 days on house arrest and placed on unsupervised probation for just two years. Needless to say, a fantastic outcome considering what should have been coming his way.

Plea to an amended count of 4th Degree DWI as a misdemeanor. This is truly a remarkable outcome for the client because she registered a .26 breath alcohol concentration - more than three times the legal limit. Negotiating down to a misdemeanor DWI is no easy task, even when the client blows a .17 (just over the .16 aggravating factor level). So, to achieve a misdemeanor outcome with this high of a reading is unheard of - except for when North Star Criminal Defense gets involved (because this isn't our first time pulling this off even). Taking a big picture approach, the North Star team figured out what was at stake and how to get the outcome needed for the client to be able to keep moving forward without having this be a major hurdle. Mission accomplished!

Plea to an amended count of Careless Driving. Client blew .12 and had no legal defenses to fight the case. Typically, the cut-off to plea to a non-DWI is .10. If you blow above it, good luck trying to get a non-DWI conviction via negotiations. And that was how the prosecutor initially reacted. But, the client could NOT have a DWI conviction on her record for fear of losing her career and even licensing. There was a lot at stake, to say the least. The North Star team worked with the client to get all of the information needed to explain her unique situation and then advised on proactive steps that would better position her for making a strong pitch for the outcome needed. Thankfully, after many hearings and many communications/negotiations with the prosecutors office, we finally got the outcome needed. Making it even sweeter - no jail or community service to complete, and probation to the court. A truly incredible outcome achieved, once again, by North Star.