How I Can Help

Clerk Magistrate Hearings (Show Cause Hearings)

If you’ve received a summons for a Clerk Magistrate Hearing, someone has asked the court to issue a criminal complaint against you. A clerk magistrate will decide whether that happens, and this hearing is your opportunity to be heard before they do. It’s often the best chance you’ll have to stop a case before it ever begins.

I represent clients at these hearings, challenging the evidence and arguing that there is no probable cause to support a charge. When a complaint doesn’t issue, there’s no arraignment, no criminal docket, and none of the stress, cost, or public record that comes with a formal criminal case.

Criminal Defense Representation

Whether you’re facing a charge of assault, OUI, theft, drug possession, or another offense, I represent you at every stage, from the clerk magistrate hearing through arraignment, motions, and trial.

I start by investigating the facts and looking closely at how the evidence was gathered. When evidence is weak or was obtained unlawfully, I challenge it. Every case is prepared as if it’s going to trial, because that preparation is what creates leverage. Sometimes the right path is fighting for a dismissal or a not-guilty verdict. Sometimes it’s negotiating a resolution that limits the impact on your record and your future. Either way, you’ll understand your options and make the decision with me, not have it made for you.

Restraining Orders

Restraining order cases move fast, and the stakes are high on both sides. I represent clients in 209A abuse prevention order and 258E harassment prevention order cases, both those seeking protection and those responding to a request.

If you need protection, I can help you present your case clearly and completely to the court, including at the hearing to extend a temporary order.

If an order has been issued against you, the consequences can be serious: a record that can surface in background checks and the risk of criminal charges for any alleged violation. A hearing is usually scheduled within about ten days, and that hearing is your opportunity to be heard and to challenge the order before it is extended, often for a year.

In either case, I prepare thoroughly and advocate for you at every hearing.