For most of us, being charged with a crime is something we never expected. The shock of a criminal charge gives way to the anxiety of court hearings and legal consequences. The possibilities of jail and punishment, probation and fines cause additional stress.
Your case will take time to do right. At some point following the citation or arrest, you will feel the urge to move quickly. You will want to get the case–this threat to your freedom and finances–over with. It’s natural to want to rip the bandaid off.
As your counselor, I will protect you from this impulse. You will live with the choices you make now for a very long time. As your attorney, my job is to get police reports, review any videos, analyze the relevant case law, hire experts and investigators as needed, and ensure you get through this process with the minimum disruption to your life.
I absolutely 100 percent recommend Freeburg law and my personal lawyer Ethan Morris. Being from another state once they were on the case they did everything to make me feel the ease of the burden of the charge I received. I don’t know how I would have handled it without their help from 500 miles away. The sentencing I received was minimal and I was happy with the entire process. Ethan made me feel as if I just made a small mistake on my part and he would handle everything for me within his power. They were well worth every dollar. Strongly recommend as a DUI attorney.
I hired this firm due to the positive reviews. Ethan did not let me down. He fought for me and my case was dismissed. The team at Freeburg Law will LISTEN to you. They will believe you and do the very best for you. Someone will answer the phone even on a Sunday morning. They will reply to every email, and answer every question no matter what. They will have your back.
I've worked on many civil and criminal cases with Freeburg Law over the years, some going to trial, many settling out of court. They do an outstanding job for their clients. They put in the time and resources needed to present the best possible case. Most importantly, they care. Easy to work with, top-notch trial lawyers. I'd highly recommend them for any civil or criminal case.
Alex Freeburg is an excellent attorney and Teton County is lucky to have him. Throughout the duration of my case, he maintained exceptional communication with me, providing every detail and explaining every juncture as they arose. Alex is a dogged advocate but has a big heart as well. I would recommend him to anyone.
I absolutely 100 percent recommend Freeburg law and my personal lawyer Ethan Morris. Being from another state once they were on the case they did everything to make me feel the ease of the burden of the charge I received. I don’t know how I would have handled it without their help from 500 miles away. The sentencing I received was minimal and I was happy with the entire process. Ethan made me feel as if I just made a small mistake on my part and he would handle everything for me within his power. They were well worth every dollar. Strongly recommend as a DUI attorney.
I hired this firm due to the positive reviews. Ethan did not let me down. He fought for me and my case was dismissed. The team at Freeburg Law will LISTEN to you. They will believe you and do the very best for you. Someone will answer the phone even on a Sunday morning. They will reply to every email, and answer every question no matter what. They will have your back.
I've worked on many civil and criminal cases with Freeburg Law over the years, some going to trial, many settling out of court. They do an outstanding job for their clients. They put in the time and resources needed to present the best possible case. Most importantly, they care. Easy to work with, top-notch trial lawyers. I'd highly recommend them for any civil or criminal case.
Alex Freeburg is an excellent attorney and Teton County is lucky to have him. Throughout the duration of my case, he maintained exceptional communication with me, providing every detail and explaining every juncture as they arose. Alex is a dogged advocate but has a big heart as well. I would recommend him to anyone.
I absolutely 100 percent recommend Freeburg law and my personal lawyer Ethan Morris. Being from another state once they were on the case they did everything to make me feel the ease of the burden of the charge I received. I don’t know how I would have handled it without their help from 500 miles away. The sentencing I received was minimal and I was happy with the entire process. Ethan made me feel as if I just made a small mistake on my part and he would handle everything for me within his power. They were well worth every dollar. Strongly recommend as a DUI attorney.
I hired this firm due to the positive reviews. Ethan did not let me down. He fought for me and my case was dismissed. The team at Freeburg Law will LISTEN to you. They will believe you and do the very best for you. Someone will answer the phone even on a Sunday morning. They will reply to every email, and answer every question no matter what. They will have your back.
I've worked on many civil and criminal cases with Freeburg Law over the years, some going to trial, many settling out of court. They do an outstanding job for their clients. They put in the time and resources needed to present the best possible case. Most importantly, they care. Easy to work with, top-notch trial lawyers. I'd highly recommend them for any civil or criminal case.
Alex Freeburg is an excellent attorney and Teton County is lucky to have him. Throughout the duration of my case, he maintained exceptional communication with me, providing every detail and explaining every juncture as they arose. Alex is a dogged advocate but has a big heart as well. I would recommend him to anyone.
I believe there is great value in having experience with the particular criminal justice system your case is in. That means, it’s important to know how the judge approaches certain legal issues and what they’re likely to do at a sentencing. Having history and credibility with the prosecutors helps when advocating for my clients.
I also do my best to be familiar with individuals officers involved in a case, and know their style as investigators. Knowing the officers is more aspirational; there is turnover within the agencies, and they are bigger organizations.
Still, I do my best to know the detectives, investigators, and officers on traffic duty. Over time, patterns and blind spots emerge that you can take advantage of. In most counties in Wyoming, there is only one judge at each level of jurisdiction. There are district court judges, who hear felonies, and circuit court judges, who hear misdemeanors and do preliminary hearings for felonies.
The town of Jackson has a municipal judge, who hears municipal offenses. The National Parks have a federal magistrate judge who hears misdemeanors.
Misdemeanors. In Wyoming, a misdemeanor is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Interestingly, drug possession misdemeanors carry a higher maximum penalty (12 months jail and $1000 fine), than a DUI (6 months jail and $750 fine). In my experience, misdemeanors involving thefts or assaults can result in jail time.
Misdemeanors involving drug possession are less likely to result in jail time, but more likely to result in lengthy drug treatment and probation terms. Of course, this all varies with County, Prosecutor and Judge. The facts of your case matter quite a bit.
Felonies. Even being charged with a felony is life-changing. All felonies carry with them the possibility of prison time. The Court is much more likely to impose a period of incarceration. The fines are much higher, and the probation can last for 5 years following release from custody. A felony results in the loss of voting rights, gun rights, and certain federal benefits. It makes obtaining a job much harder.
When you are charged with a felony, you have quite a bit on the line. Typically a felony case will be better investigated (more experienced officers given more time and resources for the investigation), better prosecuted (more attention and resources from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office), and will have the Court’s full attention. The quality of your attorney and the resources you marshal will make a difference in your outcome.
You have a right to a speedy trial. That means a trial within 6 months of your entry of not guilty plea or arraignment. However, be advised that case law has eroded the speedy trial right (you generally won’t get your case dismissed if it takes longer than 6 months) and that often times it’s in your best interest to waive your speedy trial right. For those reasons, felonies commonly take longer to resolve. For a typical misdemeanor in Teton County, you might see a timeline like the following:
A word of caution. Don’t take this timeline as gospel. For felonies and federal cases, the timeline is different. If we make a reasoned judgment to cut a deal, we can do that at anytime. These deadlines can and do move. For example, in cases involving a blood test performed at the state crime lab in Cheyenne, it can take 60 days or more to get a blood test result. Or it can take 10 days. It depends. If we do our own investigation, we may request time for that to happen.
For criminal cases, I typically work on a flat fee. That means you make one payment up front. That payment goes into my trust account. When I start the case, I take the first half out of the trust account. When I finish, I take the second half. If it goes to trial, typically there is a second flat fee. For misdemeanors, I break the case into two phases:
For felonies, I will evaluate the case and decide how to break it into phases. There may be as many as four phases. It is difficult to quote an appropriate flat fee for a felony without knowing the details. What else? I don’t nickel and dime you with copying fees, postage, or administrative costs. Those are included in the flat fee. However, if there are special costs associated with your case, such as hiring a private investigator, or obtaining an independent test, you are responsible for those costs. I don’t mark them up. If there are fines or bail, you’re responsible for that.
Protect your time, money and reputation. Above all: stay out of jail. We get it. We’ve tried cases around the State of Wyoming, earning acquittals in State and Federal Court. Let us fight for you
Our criminal defense lawyer stands between you and the system. We provide strategic, thoughtful advice, whether you need damage control or a no holds barred defense. Let us put our experience and reputation to work for you.
We successfully defend DUI charges using our proven evaluation system. We know what the court looks for, incorrect police procedures, and the arguments that prosecutors fear most.
Don't go into this alone. If you've been charged with a felony then you need representation. We'll evaluate your case and provide honest feedback.
The drug laws in Wyoming are strict. If you've been caught in possession then you need to speak to us. We'll analyze police reports and try to get the case thrown out or at least minimized.
Contact our team if you have been charged with an offense in Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Parks. We're experienced in evaluating these cases and analyzing where police or park rangers got it wrong.
A felony charge is something to take seriously. Even being charged with a felony can have enormous consequences, even if you’re acquitted of the charge, the charge is dismissed or reduced to a misdemeanor. A felony is any crime punished by more than one-year incarceration. In Wyoming, if you’re sentenced to more than one-year, you’ll do time at one of the State prisons.
Most likely, this all began in an “oh crap” moment. You saw the red flashing lights behind you and pulled over. The officer approached your vehicle and asked you for “Your license and registration, please.” Maybe the next question was “Sir, have you been drinking?”At this point, the officer is deciding whether to arrest you for DUI. You exit the vehicle,
We travel to courthouses throughout Wyoming and Eastern Idaho. We represent clients in Jackson and from Rock Springs to Cheyenne. In Idaho, we tend to stick to the Counties and towns near the Snake River. We also have a robust practice in Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
