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Michael Jay Wood

 

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Why Experience is Important

When you hire a defense lawyer, your advocate should be an attorney specializing in defending people accused of crimes. You are the accused, not a criminal, and you deserve a good defense. Call Michael Wood Law for DUI help today!

There are a lot of lawyers. You need an advocate. You need someone who devotes his entire practice to criminal defendants. An attorney who consults with you and then hands you off to another member of their firm is not offering the one-on-one relationship that Mr. Wood does. Mike provides you his focused attention and in-depth analysis of your case. Your defense requires an experienced Idaho defense lawyer.

The internet and the computer have changed everything. Information about an individual’s criminal record is accessible across state lines in seconds. Government agencies, universities, insurance companies, private citizens and businesses can easily search for a person’s records. Matters are made more complicated by companies in the business of gathering data about civil judgments and criminal convictions from local courts. This records collection business makes it hard to find an accurate record of an individual’s convictions and easy to find a record of their arrests. Your record needs to be in the hands of an experienced defense lawyer.

ONLY YOU CAN GET ANSWERS. You must make sure your attorney has years of experience and knowledge of defending people accused of crimes developed from the successful handling of jury trials. A lawyer who hasn’t obtained not-guilty verdicts through jury trial is not your best advocate. No lawyer who hasn’t prevailed at jury trials just “gets good deals”. You are not an effective negotiator if you cannot effectively put up a fight in court.

Criminal law is a high-stakes, complex, constantly changing area of practice. The days of hiring a lawyer who takes your case simply to gain courtroom experience are long gone. The potential consequences to criminal defendants are too overwhelming to allow your defense to function as an educational experience for an inexperienced lawyer.

Criminal convictions can make it difficult for individuals to gain employment or develop their abilities. Twenty-first century employers are reluctant to hire people who are going to increase a business owner’s insurance costs or make a business liable to suit. College applications and scholarships consider criminal convictions when deciding eligibility. The prosecutorial system is predatory. Criminal convictions saddle people with burdens to carry for their entire lives by restricting access to jobs and education. A criminal conviction in the 21st century, where everything is on the computer and anyone can find it, is a big deal.

Setting aside a conviction is difficult to do. The only sure way to get a conviction set aside is by receiving clemency from the governor of Idaho. There is no effective expungement of a criminal record. Regaining the civil rights lost after a criminal conviction can take time and completion of court ordered sentencing requirements.

The tremendous increase in demand for having old convictions set aside is due to the long term effects of pleading to a criminal charge. Challenging an old conviction is made more difficult when a client is facing a probation or parole violation. There is no second chance at defending yourself. The time to prevent putting your civil rights in jeopardy is when you first face trial, not after you plead guilty to a “deal” that puts you at a long-term disadvantage. To set aside an old conviction or deal with probation violations, you need an experienced defense lawyer.

Mike Wood Law Office

Mr. Wood can practice law in any county in Idaho and is an experienced attorney in all elements of criminal law. To make an appointment please call (208) 736-8190.

Visit the About Mike Wood page to get to know him.

Articles written by the local paper about cases are here.

Actively practicing criminal defense throughout southern Idaho in Arco, American Falls, Blackfoot, Boise, Burley, Caldwell, Cascade, Challis, Driggs, Dubois, Gooding, Hailey, Idaho Falls, Jerome, Malad City, Mountain Home, Paris, Pocatello, Preston, Rigby, Rexburg, Rupert, Soda Springs, Shoshone, Weiser, and Twin Falls.

Mike Wood's Law Office
Mr. Wood’s office is on the second floor of the old Times News building in downtown Twin Falls, Idaho. An appointment would be appreciated and would add to your convenience.

A consultation is the best way for you and Mr. Wood to begin working on your case. There is no set time limit for consultations. You and Mike may sit down for as long as you need to go over the details of your case and your paperwork. Bring any paperwork you have to your consultation.

Phone consultations are available for clients from out-of-state for $150. An in-person meeting is preferable. The $100 consultation fee for in-state defendants must be received prior to the consultation. If you choose to retain Mr. Wood, this fee will be subtracted from your retainer.

Print a copy of this business card and map to the office.

Michael J. Wood Business card

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