Date: June 2021
Case: Felony 5th Degree Possession of a Controlled Substance
Attorney: Michael J. Brandt
Result: Mike’s client was charged with Felony 5th Degree Possession of a Controlled Substance and Gross Misdemeanor Child Endangerment after the police executed a warrant on his home and found a felony amount of marijuana. Mike connected with the prosecutor and explained to her his client’s lack of criminal history and personal situation. Mike negotiated a Stay of Adjudication for the Felony drug charge and the prosecutor agreed to dismiss the child endangerment charge. As per the agreement with the prosecutor, Mike’s client pled guilty to the Felony drug charge but the Court set aside his plea and did not convict him. Instead, the Court placed Mike’s client on supervised probation for 2 years. Upon successful completion of probation, the Felony drug charge will be dismissed and Mike’s client will avoid both a conviction and any jail or prison time. Additionally, once Mike’s client completes probation, he will have the opportunity to have the records from this case sealed.
Date: June 2021
Case: Probation Violation
Attorney: Michael J. Brandt
Result: Mike’s client faced a probation violation that could have resulted in his client being removed from the Diversion program and having a felony conviction entered. At the violation hearing, Mike explained his client’s personal situation and argued to keep his client in the Diversion program. Based on Mike’s client’s young age as well as the detrimental effect a felony conviction would have on his client, the Court did not revoke the Diversion program. This allowed Mike’s client to avoid a felony conviction and jail time. Instead, Mike’s client had his Diversion program extended for an additional 2 years and was ordered to complete an additional 50 hours of community service.
Date: June 2021
Case: Threats of Violence and Domestic Assault by Strangulation
Attorney: Nicole A. Kettwick
Result: Nicole’s client was arrested after an argument with his wife in Swift County and was charged with Felony Terroristic Threats, Felony Domestic Assault by Strangulation, and Misdemeanor Domestic Assault. Nicole encouraged her client to complete some proactive steps which helped lead to a favorable settlement called a Stay of Adjudication for the Terroristic Threats charge. As part of the agreement, the prosecutor dismissed the domestic assault charges. Nicole’s client pled guilty to Terroristic Threats, but per the agreement the Court did not accept this plea and, instead, placed Nicole’s client on 3 years of probation without requiring any jail time. Upon successful completion of probation, the charge will be dismissed and Nicole’s client will avoid a conviction.
Date: June 2021
Case: Threats of Violence and Domestic Assault
Attorney: Michael J. Brandt
Result: During an argument with his girlfriend, Mike’s client shouted while holding a gun, causing the police to be called. Mike’s client was charged with Threats of Violence, a felony, and Domestic Assault, a misdemeanor. Mike was successful in pointing out that the alleged victim was unreliable and that the facts didn’t support the charge. Mike’s client also took the proactive step of attending counseling. Based upon this, Mike was able to negotiate with the prosecutor to amend the charge to Reckless Handling of a Firearm, a misdemeanor. Mike’s client was placed on probation for one year, avoided losing his gun rights, and avoided serving any jail time.
Date: May 2021
Case: DWI and Felony Fleeing
Attorney: Nicole A. Kettwick
Result: Nicole’s client faced Felony Fleeing and Gross Misdemeanor DWI charges after she was pulled over in Aitkin County for going over 100 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone. The State charged her with felony fleeing in a motor vehicle and DWI. After a blood test showed she did not have any alcohol or controlled substances in her system, Nicole filed a motion to dismiss the DWI, which the Court granted. Nicole’s client was still facing a felony fleeing charge. Nicole, her client and family helped gather information to show some proactive steps she took since the incident and discussed the legal challenges in the case with the prosecutor. Nicole was able to negotiate the Felony Fleeing charge down to Misdemeanor Speeding with only one year of probation and no jail time. This resolution allowed Nicoles’s client to get back on her feet and avoid a felony conviction on her record and she was able to get her vehicle returned to her.
Date: April 2021
Case: DWI and Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance
Attorney: Nicole A. Kettwick
Result: Nicole’s client was pulled over by the police after driving home from work late one night in Anoka County. Upon her arrest for a DWI, the officers searched her car and found marijuana brownies and prescription medications for someone else. Nicole’s client then faced Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance and Gross Misdemeanor DWI charges. As Nicole’s client had a family and risked losing time with her daughter with these charges, Nicole challenged the legality of the stop of her client’s car. After a judge ruled that the stop by the police violated Nicole’s client’s 4th amendment rights, all the evidence after the stop was inadmissible for the coming trial. This led the prosecutor to dismiss all the charges and allowed Nicole’s client to move on from this tough time in her life without a conviction on her record. She also filed an Implied Consent Challenge/Petition for judicial review after the State revoked her driver’s license. Nicole ultimately won this case on the same issue and her client avoided a DWI on her driving record and she was able to get her license back.
Date: April 2021
Case: Domestic Assault – By Strangulation
Attorney: Nicole A. Kettwick
Result: Nicole’s client was charged with a Felony Domestic Assault by Strangulation and faced an uncertain jury trial ahead of him. Due to her client’s limited criminal history and proactive steps, Nicole was able to negotiate with the prosecutor to achieve a resolution that allowed her client to avoid jail time and move on from this difficult time with only one year on probation and a stay or adjudication on a misdemeanor for one year. After the one year of successful probation, Nicole’s client’s amended misdemeanor charge will be dismissed.
Date: March 2021
Case: Probation Violations
Attorney: Mike Brandt
Result: Mike represented a client on three felony files where his client was alleged to have violated his probation by absconding from probation. Mike’s client was looking at the potential of going to prison if the court found that he had violated probation. In preparing the case, Mike provided documentation to the probation department and the prosecutor that Mike’s client had turned his life around by going through treatment, maintaining sobriety, and being gainfully employed. Based upon all of this information, Mike convinced the state to dismiss the probation violations and discharge his client from probation. Once the probation violations were discharged, Mike’s client had no further obligations to probation and did not face the risk of any jail time.
Date: February 2021
Case: Felony Threats of Violence
Attorney: Nicole A. Kettwick
Result: Nicole’s client was charged with Felony Threats of Violence after a road rage incident where another vehicle on the highway thought Nicole’s client pulled a gun on them. Nicole worked with her client to complete some proactive steps which allowed Nicole to negotiate a “downward departure” resolution. This resolution allowed her client to avoid a felony and any jail time as long as he successfully completes two years of probation.
Date: February 2021
Case: Juvenile Felony Theft of a Motor Vehicle and Felony Damage to Property
Attorney: Nicole A. Kettwick
Result: After a joyriding incident with someone else’s car turned into the car exploding, Nicole’s client faced two felony charges in juvenile court. Nicole worked with the prosecutor to reach an agreement called a stay of adjudication, which meant that her client pled guilty to one count, but the Court did not convict her client and instead placed him on probation. Instead, after successful completion of one year of probation, the remaining charge against her client will be dismissed. This resolution allowed her client to avoid a conviction and juvenile detention altogether.