Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find out who my lawyer is?

• Call our office at (231) 724-6585 and follow the prompts to reach a secretary who can tell you who your attorney is.  At that time, you can set up an appointment to speak to him or her.  Since your lawyer is most likely in court all day, it is very unlikely that he or she will be there to take your call or meet with you without an appointment.
  • Please keep in mind that we may not know yet who your attorney is.  Once our office is appointed by the Court to represent you, we are not notified by the Court for a few days and even then, may not get your discovery materials for days after, so it may be a few days after you are arraigned before we can speak to you intelligently about your case.
  • Fred Johnson is probably not your lawyer.  Mr. Johnson is the Chief Public Defender so his name is listed on all orders appointing our office to your case.  Another attorney will actually be assigned to represent you in court.
• When is my next court date?
  • Call (231) 724-6585 ex. 1 for family division cases, (231) 724-6585 ex. 2 for misdemeanor cases, or (231) 724-6585 ex. 3 for felony cases. These extensions will direct you to the legal secretary for your case type who can give you information regarding upcoming court dates. 
• What do I do if I miss my court date?
  • Call us immediately!  Our ability to keep you out of jail after missing a court date diminishes the longer you wait. 
• How do I change my lawyer?
  • While the taxpayers of this county have generously paid to provide you with an attorney, they have not paid for you to have a choice.  Sometimes, your attorney will have to tell you bad news or disagree with you.  You may, at any time, hire your own lawyer if you are unhappy with the one you have.  If you cannot afford to hire, you will receive a hard working advocate, but you cannot chose who that person is.
• What if my lawyer is not doing his or her job?
  • You may contact the Chief Public Defender, Frederick D. Johnson, Jr., at (231) 724-6585 extension 5.  If you have a complaint, Mr. Johnson will assign a senior attorney to investigate or he will investigate himself. 
• What if I cannot attend my court date?
  • Let us know as soon as possible.  The more advance warning you can give us, the better chance we can get the matter adjourned.  It is very difficult to get adjournments a day or two before a hearing (especially when the hearing is a trial) and it gets more and more unlikely with each additional adjournment you request after the first one you receive.  In the end, you are required to attend your hearings, and if you fail to do so, you may be subject to fines and/or jail time.
• My witnesses are leaving town.  They are about to erase the video.  What do I do?
  • Tell us immediately!  Any time we may loose witnesses or evidence, do not try to fix it yourself.  Call your lawyer and alert him or her to the problem.
•  What can I do to help my case?
  • You have the right to remain silent. No talking means no Facebook conversations, tweets, letters or phone calls to and from jail, "coded" messages, or bunk discussions.   
  • Gather your evidence.  Get the names and contact information of your witnesses.  Copy texts, email and Facebook postings that support your case. Read your police reports and be prepared to discuss your case with your attorney.
  • People who make appointments to see their attorneys get better results than people who wait until the day of trial and meet their lawyers at court.