Our Practice Areas
We provide a variety of services primary surrounding Criminal Defense.
Criminal Defense Law
Facing criminal law charges is a time of great uncertainty. Will you be arrested? Will you go to jail? Is this going to effect the rest of your life? It is important to know your options and your rights no matter what type of crime you have been charged with. Whether you are charged with a misdemeanor or a major felony, it is important to have an aggressive approach to get results. Shulman Law offers services including bond hearings, motion practice and trial litigation. Consulting with an experienced attorney, such as Sasha Shulman with Shulman Law, will help answer all of your questions and put your mind at ease.
Restraining Orders
There are a number of reasons why a person wishes to seek a restraining order. This legal tool can be utilized in a dating relationship, in marriage, between family members or strangers or even neighbors. Shulman Law has extensive experience handling these civil actions for both Petitioners and Respondents. Or, if you were served with a restraining order, retain counsel immediately. Either way, before an order of protection is litigated, contact Shulman Law for a consultation.
Forfeiture Defense
Forfeitures are a common practice by Law Enforcement. Property may be seized by the government through either a civil or criminal forfeiture proceeding. It is important to know your rights when it comes to these actions. Shulman Law has handled forfeitures involving a number of situations in both civil and criminal proceedings. Before signing ANY paperwork related to a forfeiture, speak with an experiences attorney such as Mrs. Shulman to fully understand your rights.
Sealing & Expunging
Sealing and expunging your record have similarities. However, hiring an attorney well-versed in this area can save a lot of time and money. The number one difference between the ability to have a case sealed or expunging it is what the result was of your case. You can only go with the expunging route in a case that was not filed, dropped by the prosecutor, or dismissed by the court. You can seal a case if you received a withholding of adjudication (that you were not formally convicted). And, there are a number of types of crimes that are ineligible to be sealed (such as domestic violence).
Drug Cases
Arrests or investigations involving drug cases are often complex and have life-long implications. Did you know that a conviction can lead to the suspension of your driver’s license? You need knowledgeable, aggressive representation in these matters, as the penalties are steep. An arrest involving drugs can be for simple possession, felony possession, cultivating, manufacturing, distribution, or trafficking. There are significant sentencing penalties when it comes to drug offenses, including minimum mandatory sentences when it comes to trafficking. It is important to hire an attorney as soon as you are arrested or learn that you are under investigation for drug cases.
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence cases can range from a second-degree misdemeanor to a capital felony. These cases are often emotionally complex and filled with pitfalls where if you were arrested, you could be subject to additional charges by not following the rules of the court. Immediately following an arrest, hire an attorney to walk you through your case and to explain the orders of the court to make sure that you can stay free on bond while your case is pending.
Violent Crimes
Violent Crimes is a wide category that can include battery, aggravated battery, gun charges, domestic violence, sexual assault, manslaughter, murder, and many more. Make sure to hire an attorney that has handled them all. With Shulman Law, you get over a decade of experience, including years that were dedicated to domestic violence cases, to career criminal cases, and to homicides. Before you hire an attorney, be sure to ask – have you handled this type of case before? How about cases that are more serious than this case? With experience comes success and knowledge.
Firearms/Guns Cases
Firearms cases can range in penalty from misdemeanor to capital felony. When a firearm is possessed during the commission of a felony, the prosecutor’s office has the option to charge you with “10-20-life.” This is a way that the prosecutor can sentence you to a minimum mandatory sentence. For instance, if you commit an aggravated battery by hitting someone with a bat, the maximum is 15 years in prison. However, if you commit an aggravated battery with a firearm, the prosecutor can enhance that sentence, or make it greater, by using 10-20-life. Not only would the maximum be increased to 30 years, but depending on how the gun was used, you could also be facing a minimum mandatory.
Probation Violation
A huge percentage of criminal cases are resolved through plea negotiations. Quite often, a plea will include a term of community control or probation. Should you violate either, the consequences can be significant. Rather than have the right to a jury trial, a violation of community control or probation is tried before the judge. The rules of evidence are different. There is much more leeway in what evidence the court can hear in a violation than in a trial, making it easy for prosecutors to prove the violation.
Human Trafficking
A very basic explanation of human trafficking is where one person forces another person, against their will, to engage in certain activities. The force used may be physical (abuse), financial, fraud or even coercion. Typically, one person controls another and forces them to engage in illegal activity, such as prostitution, drug sales/trafficking, or theft/financial crimes. Human trafficking crimes may be charged in many different ways.