Cale Law Office vigorously defends people facing:

  • Felony charges;
  • Misdemeanor charges;
  • Probation violations;
  • Traffic violations that may affect your driver’s license;
  • Driver’s license suspensions; and
  • Asset Forfeiture

Cale Law Office also provides services in the fiedl of Medical Marijuana

What Sets Cale Law Office Apart From Some Other Law Firms?

 

CALE LAW OFFICESome Others
Dedicated to criminal defenseSpread out with multiple areas of practice. No focus on certain area of law to develop expertise
Personal, one-on-one attention. Lays out a plan of attack for the clientCases assigned to a junior attorney; Little contact with attorney, leaving client wondering what’s going on with the case
Experience: Representing people with legal needs for nearly two decadesFresh out of law school, or little experience handling cases
Aggressive representation: Digs into the evidence or the lack of it.  Looks for holes in the prosecutor’s case, and works to get unfavorable evidence thrown out, while adhering to professionalism and ethical practice. Try to get clients to plea out right off the bat, no digging into the evidence or the lack of it. Take the path of least resistance to just get the case done and over with.

 

Defense Process

 

  1. Defense Filings: Attorney Cale files notice with the Court and DA’s Office that he is representing you, and files a Discovery Motion. This is a demand for the DA’s Office to turn over evidence that it has against you, and evidence that may be favorable to you.
  2. Initial Court Appearance: Judge will tell you what the charge is, and your rights. For misdemeanors, you can plead guilty, not guilty, or no contest at this stage.
  3. Pretrial Conference: DA’s office will have a plea offer. You can accept it, reject it, or negotiate for a better deal. If you accept it, a judge may set another date for your plea deal.
  4. Preliminary Hearing (felonies only): This is like a “mini trial.” However, the purpose of the hearing is not to determine guilt or innocence. Instead, it’s a hearing to determine 1) whether a crime was committed; and 2) whether there is probable cause that you committed the crime.  The prosecutor’s burden of proof is lower than at a trial to determine your guilt or innocence.  If the judge determines that the DA has met its burden of proof (points 1 and 2), then a defendant is “bound over” for trial. The trial will occur at a later time. In some instances, the judge may reduce the charge or add additional charges. If the judge decides that the DA has not met its burden, the charge will be dismissed.
  5. Pre-Trial Defense Motions:  Attorney Cale files various pre-trial motions (formal, legal requests to the judge). This can include motions to dismiss the case, to suppress (throw out) evidence, to keep the prosecutor from introducing certain evidence at trial, and to make the prosecutor comply with discovery responses.
  6. Further Trial Preparation: Trial preparation is an ongoing process that starts at the beginning of your case if you decide you want to go to trial.  Attorney Cale finalizes further preparation with additional meetings with you and your witnesses to prepare you for trial.  You have the right to have a jury trial. If the prosecutor agrees to it, you may have your case heard by a judge alone. For misdemeanors the jury is comprised of six persons. For felonies, the jury is comprised of 12 persons.  The jury’s verdict must be unanimous.
  7. Post-Trial Motions (if convicted): Attorney Cale files post-trial motions. This can include a motion to dismiss the case, or a motion for a new trial.
  8. Formal Sentencing (if convicted): The judge will sentence you.. The judge may sentence a person as recommended by the jury, or may deviated from that recommendation.  In some cases, a defendant is eligible for a Pre-Sentence Investigation (PSI). The court’s probation department prepares a report for the judge summarizing the crime, and the defendant’s personal and criminal backgrounds. Generally, the victim is contacted for a recommendation of sentence. The probation officer concludes the report with a recommended sentence.The judge may consider different alternatives, such as a fine, probation, community service, a sentence to jail or prison, or part incarceration and part probation.
  9. Appeal (if convicted): Attorney Cale files an appeal if that’s what you want.