Every day people speak with police, file complaints, are investigated and some are arrested. Erek Sittig has represented clients throughout the criminal justice process. Whether you are considering making a report to police and want to know if there could be ramifications to you, or you have already been charged with a crime and you need representation in the criminal court proceeding, Erek can assist you.

Erek charges $135 per hour for criminal representation, and offers a free initial consultation (maximum 30 minutes). Please call for a no obligation written estimate of the fees likely to be charged for your case.

Please note that Erek provides criminal defense services in State Courts, but does not practice in Federal Criminal Courts, at this time.

Following are answers to a number of frequently asked questions about the criminal justice process:

The cost depends on the charge. The amount of the potential fine increases as you move from lower level misdemeanors to higher-level felonies. In addition to a fine, you may be required to pay a number of surcharges ranging from $10 to 35% of the fine amount to $125. All of these surcharges apply to some cases, but only the 35% surcharge applies in all cases.

Concerning fees for legal representation, you should contact an attorney for an estimate.

Criminal prosecutions generally follow the same template. After the police file a complaint, the County Attorney usually files the official charging document, which is called the trial information. The Court then sets a date for arraignment, where the defendant enters his/her plea (this step is often done in writing). The Court next sets the initial dates for pretrial conference and trial.

Throughout the process, your attorney will be working with the County Attorney to procure documents relevant to your case and question witnesses, to determine your best option.

The length of the process depends on the particular case. Each criminal defendant has the right to a speedy trial. If they demand that right, they must be tried within 90 days of the arraignment. If they waive that right, which often happens, the trial must generally occur within one year of the arraignment.

The answer to this question depends entirely on the willingness of the County Attorney to accept a plea to a lesser charge. In many cases, this is an option. In other cases, a County Attorney will not accept a plea to a lesser charge, but might be willing to make more lenient sentencing recommendation to the Court. In others, neither of these is true.

The answer to this question depends on your specific case. You should contact an attorney to discuss your case in more detail.