Ingham County Sex Crimes Lawyer

If you find yourself being questioned by the police as a potential suspect or "person of interest" regarding a criminal sexual offense, your best option is to consult an experienced Ingham County sex crimes defense attorney right away. Even if you know you are innocent or if you firmly believe that any charges involved may be exaggerated, false, or mistaken and whether or not you are the prime suspect it is extremely important for you to understand what your rights are and what is happening in terms of legal importance. Often, law enforcement personnel know that ordinary citizens are unfamiliar and unschooled in criminal enforcement processes, and count on the fact that citizens may not understand when they may be sacrificing important rights or unwittingly creating legal complications for themselves.

Charged with a Sex Crime in Ingham County, MI?

It is important to remember that hiring an attorney is not an indication of guilt or culpability. Experienced defense attorneys are trained and knowledgeable about what the law is and how the criminal justice system works. A seasoned attorney will be your advocate in an unfamiliar environment, to make sure that your statements, actions, and decisions will truly serve your personal interests and will be calculated to reach the best possible outcome for your case. He or she can help you resolve your case quickly and efficiently, and, most of all, correctly, whether that involves investigation, conferences, negotiation, plea bargaining, or even a full trial. The Michigan defense attorneys at the law firm of Grabel & Associates have many years of experience handling criminal matters in courts throughout Michigan, and especially in Ingham County, where the law firm is based. When you need reliable, committed, and sensitive legal representation to handle your sex crimes case, Grabel & Associates is the firm to call.

Criminal Cases in Ingham County are Tried in Lansing, East Lansing, or Mason

There are three district courts for Ingham County, and one circuit court. The three district courts, designated 54-A, 54-B, and 55th, handle a number of civil and criminal matters. Respecting sex crimes specifically, cases for persons 17 years and older begin in the district court. District courts handle all misdemeanor criminal cases where punishment does not exceed more than one year in jail, including setting and collecting bail, trials, and sentencing. District courts also conduct preliminary examinations for felony cases. District court will set bail for felony cases, and may also conduct felony arraignments and accept pleas. If a trial needs to go forward in a felony case, it will be transferred to the 30th Judicial Circuit Court for Ingham County.

If You are Under Investigation in a Sex Crime Case in Ingham County, Grabel & Associates Represents Statewide

The 54-A District Court is the largest circuit court in Ingham County, and has jurisdiction over matters arising in the city of Lansing. The address for the 54-A District Court is:

City Hall, 6th Floor
124 W. Michigan Ave.
Lansing, Michigan 48933

The 54-B District Court handles all cases occurring within the city of East Lansing. The address for the 54-B District Court is:

54-B District Court
101 Linden St.
East Lansing, Michigan 48823

The 55th District Court has jurisdiction over all the cities in Ingham County besides Lansing and East Lansing. The 55th District Court is located in Mason at:

55th District Court
700 Buhl Dr.
Mason, Michigan 48854

The 30th Judicial Circuit Court, as stated above, has jurisdiction over all felony criminal trials that occur in Ingham County. The 30th Judicial Circuit Court for Ingham County is located at:

Veterans Memorial Courthouse
313 W. Kalamazoo St.
Lansing, Michigan 48901

Ingham County, Michigan, is centrally located in the southern half of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The county seat of Ingham County is the city of Mason, although the county also contains the city of Lansing, which is the Michigan state capital. Lansing is the only state capital in the nation that is not also a county seat of the county in which it sits.

Ingham County was named after Samuel Ingham, who was the Secretary of  Treasury under President Andrew Jackson. The county was created in 1829, incorporating areas that were formerly part of Shiawassee and Washtenaw counties. Ingham County is made up of five cities, 16 townships, three villages, five unincorporated communities, and is bordered by Shiawassee, Livingston, Washtenaw, Jackson, Eaton, and Clinton counties. It encompasses an area of 561 square miles, and Ingham County's population consists of 280,895 residents.

During the recent economic downturn, the unemployment rate in Ingham County peaked at just over 12%, but has since recovered somewhat, so that the current unemployment rate is slightly lower than the national average. The crime rate in Ingham County is lower than the national average as well as the Michigan average, although the crime rate in Lansing itself, the county's most populous city (with 114,297 residents, or roughly 40% of the county population), is higher than both the state and national average.

According to recent statistics compiled by the Michigan State Police, there were26,299 crime incidents reported in Ingham County, of which 446 were classified specifically with reference to sexual misconduct, including obscenity, rape,sexual assault, statutory rape, prostitution, solicitation, and other unspecifiedsexual offenses. From these incidents, 95 arrests were made.

Call Grabel & Associates 24/7 for Legal Assistance

When you are in need of legal assistance, you cannot always afford to wait until normal business hours, particularly if it involves an investigation in a sex crimes matter in which time is of the essence. That is why Grabel & Associates has an attorney available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to answer questions and provide information. If you need immediate help regarding a criminal sexual offense, contact Grabel & Associates right away for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation on your case.