Criminal Defense Checklists
Practical steps, in order, for the situations people face when a case is moving faster than their understanding of it. These are about process rather than about the law of any one state — which is deliberate, because process is the part that does not change every legislative session. They apply the same way in all three states we are licensed in.
Before You Plead to Anything, If You Are Not a U.S. Citizen
A plea that looks like a good result in criminal court can be the worst available outcome once federal immigration law is applied to it. The decision is very hard to undo afterward, and the window to get it right is before you agree — not after. This is the checklist for that window.
7 steps →What to Do in the First 48 Hours After an Arrest
The period right after an arrest is when the fewest people have advice and the most damage gets done. Almost none of what follows is complicated — it is mostly about not making the situation worse while you find out what you are actually dealing with.
8 steps →What to Do If a Family Member Is in Jail
If someone you love has been arrested, you are the one who can act right now — they mostly cannot. That is an uncomfortable position to be in with no information. This is what is worth doing first, in order.
8 steps →Questions to Ask Before Accepting a Plea
Most criminal cases resolve without a trial, so a plea is a normal outcome rather than a failure. It is also very hard to undo. These are the questions worth having answered before you decide — and a good lawyer will welcome all of them.
8 steps →What to Bring to a First Meeting With a Defense Lawyer
A first meeting is more useful when the lawyer can see the actual paperwork rather than a description of it. None of this is difficult to assemble, and bringing an incomplete set is far better than postponing.
8 steps →How to Prepare for a Court Appearance
Court is procedural and unfamiliar, and most of what goes wrong on the day is logistical rather than legal. None of the following affects the merits of a case — it just removes the avoidable problems.
8 steps →Court Date Planner
If you have a court date, the Court Date Planner works backwards from it and shows when to do each of the preparation steps above. It calculates no legal deadlines and stores nothing you type.
General information, not legal advice, and nothing here predicts what will happen in any particular case. If someone is in custody right now, please call rather than waiting.