Criminal Defense Attorneys in Michigan
When charged with a misdemeanor or felony in Michigan, criminal defense attorneys who work exclusively in criminal law are your smartest course of action.
With over 45 years of combined experience in Michigan criminal law, the attorneys at Simon & Geherin, PLLC have defended nearly every type of criminal offense. From homicide to drunk driving, from complex white collar crime to shoplifting, from Internet crimes to driver’s license restoration, we have handled them all with expertise, passion, and understanding. In short, we have a long and proven track record of success in the courtroom and an extensive list of satisfied clients.
In Michigan, a criminal defense attorney will help you navigate the entire judicial process, which is not nearly as cut-and-dried as it may appear. There is a great deal of “prosecutorial discretion” given to prosecutors who then work with criminal defense attorneys in Michigan to decide which charges to file. A good criminal law attorney in Michigan understands this system and the propensity of each judge to work according to these opaque sets of rules.
A qualified Michigan criminal defense law firm approaches every case with keen attention to the unique set of circumstances inherent in crime. With years of background experience plus seasoned legal staff working behind the scenes, your lawyer should offer the following:
- Counsel you on the future implications of a guilty or innocent plea
- Provide a realistic and objective sense of what would likely happen in a trial, relative to entering a plea bargain
- Negotiate reduced charges and sentencing where appropriate
- Interpret the law and convey it in lay terms
- Hire experts such as investigators who can challenge prosecution witness stories, proving that, very often, human recall can be flawed
- Devise a sentencing structure that, if the client is convicted, will be most tenable, feasible and which might help prevent reoccurrences of criminal behavior in the future
Your criminal defense attorney in Michigan also should be someone you can feel comfortable with throughout the entire defense process. Feel free to contact any of our partners to see if Simon & Geherin is the right firm to work on your behalf.
Contact Simon & Geherin, PLLC
To learn how we can be of assistance with your criminal defense matter, please call us to arrange a free consultation and case evaluation at (734) 997-0870 or click here to contact us now.
Joseph A. Simon
Mr. Simon has been practicing criminal law for over 23 years and in that time has uniquely distinguished himself in his practice area. Notably, Mr. Simon is listed in the Best Lawyers in America under the specialty of criminal defense. He has also been selected as one of Michigan's criminal defense Super Lawyers from 2007-2009. Mr. Simon is an AV®-rated attorney attaining the highest rankings for professional excellence and ethical standards. He has also been recognized as "One of the Top Criminal Defense Attorneys" in his locality by his peers.
Mr. Simon is also a frequent contributor to the Institute for Continuing Legal Education where he teaches other lawyers substantive criminal law and procedure. Mr. Simon is also the author of "Michigan Automated Sentencing Guidelines," a computer application that automates Michigan's legislative sentencing guidelines and is used by every probation agent throughout Michigan.*
Mr. Simon attended both the University of Michigan and Michigan State University for undergraduate studies, obtaining a BA in Criminal Justice from Michigan State in 1982. Mr. Simon attended law school at the University of Detroit where he quickly distinguished himself as a talented advocate. In 1984, Mr. Simon won first place in the William Henry Gallagher Intramural Moot Court Competition for oral advocacy. Thereafter, he represented his school in national moot court competitions and was awarded membership in the National Order of Barristers.
In nearly 25 years of practice, Mr. Simon has defended virtually every type of criminal case, and has tried hundreds of criminal cases throughout Michigan.
*Using the MASG application as modified by Sybase Corporation in partnership with Simplified Sentencing Software, Inc.
Daniel T. Geherin
Mr. Geherin is licensed to practice law in Michigan and California. Prior to becoming a criminal defense attorney, Mr. Geherin was a Deputy District Attorney prosecuting criminal offenses in Los Angeles, California. There, Mr. Geherin prosecuted gang offenses, sexual assaults, major narcotics violations, juvenile delinquency, and complex white collar criminal offenses. As a criminal defense attorney, he has defended nearly every type of crime, including hundreds of criminal sexual conduct offenses, homicide cases, drug cases, domestic violence charges, embezzlement and fraud investigations, home invasion and theft offenses, and countless drunk driving violations. In all, Mr. Geherin has handled nearly 3,000 felony and misdemeanor cases, 1,000 juvenile cases, hundreds of driver license restoration cases, and has completed over 200 criminal trials.
Mr. Geherin graduated with honors from Michigan State University with a BS in Humanities/Pre-Law. Following college, he worked for a year as a law clerk with a law firm in southeast Michigan that handled both civil litigation and criminal prosecution. Mr. Geherin attended law school at California Western in San Diego, California. While in law school, he was an executive editor of his school's Law Review, won an intra-school moot court trial competition, and received American Jurisprudence Awards for the highest grades in three classes, including Legal Writing and Advanced Criminal Procedure. Additionally, while enrolled in law school, Mr. Geherin completed two internships (one in the juvenile gang unit and one in the felony preliminary hearings unit) with the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. He graduated cum laude from law school in 1996 and passed the California Bar Examination on his first attempt. Following law school, Mr. Geherin accepted a job with the Orange County (CA) District Attorney's Office. After six months in Orange County, Mr. Geherin became a prosecutor in Los Angeles. He left California after seven years to return to Michigan.
Mr. Geherin is member of the Federal Bar Association and the Washtenaw County Bar Association, where he is the past Chairperson of the Criminal Law Section.
Carl D. Macpherson
Mr. Macpherson is admitted to practice in both Michigan and Washington, D.C. Mr. Macpherson graduated with distinction from the University of Michigan in 1994 and graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1997.
In law school, Mr. Macpherson received honors for the best oral advocate in his first year. During his second year, he was a member of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court competition team. In his third year, he was chosen as the sole supervisor to accompany the competition team to the regional competition. While in law school, Mr. Macpherson clerked for the Honorable Charles W. Johnson of the 57th Circuit Court in Petoskey and for the law firm of Bodman, Longley & Dahling L.L.P., in Cheboygan.
Following law school, Mr. Macpherson clerked for the Honorable Anita M. Josey-Herring of the Washington, D.C. Superior Court. He then worked as an assistant public defender for the D.C. Public Defender Service for three years. As an assistant public defender, Mr. Macpherson defended adult felony cases and juvenile delinquency offenses.
In 2001, Mr. Macpherson was hired as an assistant public defender at the Washtenaw County Public Defender's Office and defended misdemeanor and felony cases, including several high-profile cases. In all, Mr. Macpherson has defended thousands of felony cases in Washtenaw County from arraignment through jury trial, including homicide, armed robbery, criminal sexual conduct, narcotics and weapon offenses. He also has extensive experience defending drunk driving, domestic violence and driver's license restoration cases.
