Case Results

Stay of adjudication. Despite facing 12 separate felony counts (which, if convicted of all 12, he was facing mandatory prison time), the North Star worked out this incredible outcome where he is never convicted of any crime, let alone a felony. To get to this point, the North Star had to dive into extensive discovery produced by the State and then follow-up, demanding additional discovery that proved critical to the negotiations. For instance, getting the communications log demonstrated that the Dept. of Revenue communications were actually sent to a business partner and the client could not have been the wrongdoer in that instance. Leveraging that information - among other favorable facts - led to an outcome where there is never a conviction, no fine, and no community service. A rare, fantastic outcome thanks to the North Star team.

Stay of imposition plea to an amended misdemeanor count and only six-months' probation. What makes this such a great outcome is that it took 1.5 years' worth of pushing and negotiating to finally get a stubborn County Attorney to make this meaningful offer. In achieving this, the client avoids the six-month revocation and a nasty criminal record from a mere traffic offense. She was nearly crying, with a sense of relief that the long ordeal is finally over and in such a fantastic manner for her.

Plea to an amended count of a 4th degree misdemeanor DWI, with no jail to serve, a minimal fine, and a year of probation where the only ongoing obligation is to remain law abiding. What makes this such an incredible result is the facts were not favorable - the client got into a single-vehicle accident on the side a highway and blew a .29. Yup, a .29. And we still leveraged his changed behaviors, proactive steps, and need for a misdemeanor to get what most would consider an impossible outcome to achieve - except for us.

Stay of adjudication. Client was charged for physically disciplining his young children. Because of the age, it was a felony count and the State obviously took the allegations very seriously. Despite that, the allegations left room for interpretation - after all, a parent has a right to physically discipline their child under the corporal punishment statute. Leveraging that and the client's non-existent record, Mr. Gempeler worked hard to push for this incredible outcome. The client is able to earn the non-conviction and move forward with his life without a damaging criminal record.

Dismissed. The client unsuspectedly gave an officer her fake ID when she was pulled over for a traffic violation. She owned up to this mistake on-site, but was still cited with this misdemeanor charge. For a college student with no criminal record, creating one because of this mistake was a non-starter for her. She trusted the North Star team to get it done and that's exactly what we did. Leveraging our great relationship with the prosecutor, we were able to convince him that a dismissal was just and appropriate under the circumstances, and that our client was worthy of such an incredible outcome.

Dismissal of violations, reduction of terms to permit client to return home, a full and total win! If you or your loved one has been sentenced, do not simply accept what the probation department orders. Do not permit changes to the terms you’ve accepted, or punishments that are not fair or reasonable. Keep fighting! Hell, it can be more fulfilling to hire aggressive and successful lawyers after a case seems complete, than even before (but North Star lawyers will always, always fight to get the best terms, and/or an acquittal, on the front end!). In this case, a client facing humiliating terms, and an endless stream of complications and injustices from his sentence, hired his third legal team, this time for the win: He’s back home, parenting his wonderful kid, back to work, no more embarrassments or needless challenges.

Stay of Adjudication. State initially demanded a conviction and substantial jail term, but Defendant’s hustle and Mr. Adkins’ artful arguments (commercial theft cases can often involve substantial witness and documentation challenges, creating a point of leverage for a gifted defender) resulted in a 6-month stay with no conviction and no collateral consequences. Client would have been immediately fired, and thereafter un-employable, with a conviction. Client is overjoyed.

Dismissed for lack of probable cause. The client drove past the school bus as the red lights were flashing and the stop arm was in the process of extending out. It was not fully extended. Due to this, Mr. Gempeler raised a creative and correct legal argument that the statute requires the stop arm to be fully extended, not in the process of it, in order for a person to be charged with this offense. After oral arguments, the judge agreed and dismissed the case. Another fantastic result due to the diligence and persistence of the North Star team.