The Secret to Avoiding Jail Time in Oakland County

Felony and Misdemeanor Cases – In most Oakland County cases, you do not have to go to jail. A savvy defense lawyer experienced with the courts in Oakland County gives you the best chance of avoiding jail or prison.

Oakland County Criminal Defense Attorneys

“How do I get out of serving jail time in Oakland County?”

Many lawyers tell clients charged with a felony or misdemeanor in Oakland County that it is challenging to avoid jail time. The truth is that a resourceful, tenacious Oakland County lawyer experienced in defending against criminal charges knows that there are various programs that, when requested, can keep the client out of jail or prison or, at least, drastically reduce the time they spend in jail.

Programs for Avoiding Incarceration

Adult Treatment Court – Designed for substance-abusing nonviolent adult felony offenders to rehabilitate and successfully reintegrate them into the community.

Alternative Incarceration Centers (AIC) – Community-based, 24-hour-a-day supervised sentencing alternative for Circuit Court Judges to use in felony cases. Individuals sentenced (for a nonviolent felony offense) to an AIC must adhere to strict supervision and behavior standards, participate in various therapeutic interventions (e.g., substance abuse and/or mental health counseling), and financially contribute to their care once employed.

Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) – Substance abuse treatment in various settings, lasting up to 30 days, is a productive way to avoid jail time in Oakland County. Typically, these programs are for misdemeanants whose criminal conduct is directly related to drug/alcohol use or addiction—designed to treat the offender with serious drug/alcohol problems effectively.

Life Employment & Skills Program (LESP) is for in-custody felony offenders with a history of criminal conduct and substance-abusing behavior. It can result in a 25% reduction in the jail sentence upon completion.

More Programs to Avoid Jail in Oakland County

Electronic Monitoring – Electronic monitoring allows for close supervision of a defendant in the community. A judge can order it to help the defendant avoid jail time in Oakland County. Schedules help defendants who are allowed to work, attend school, counseling, and other appointments required by the court. There is a fee for electronic monitoring. The court can establish restricted areas in cases where victims are involved. Types of electronic tracking include:

Global Positioning System (GPS)
Transdermal Alcohol Monitoring
Breathalyzer Monitor
Ignition Interlock
Tether

Prior Authorization Central Evaluation (PACE) – Defendants with court-appointed attorneys also want to know how to avoid jail time in Oakland County. PACE provides the first step to substance abuse treatment for Medicaid, low-income, and underinsured individuals.

Prison SAI (Special Alternative Incarceration) – Offenders eligible for the Prisoner Boot Camp must be sentenced to a minimum prison term of three (3) years or less or a two-year minimum or less for Breaking and Entering (ODH) or Home Invasion. Ninety (90) days in the program include strenuous physical exercise and work, educational, and vocational counseling. Upon completion of the Boot Camp, inmates get released to aftercare.

Probation SAI (Special Alternative Incarceration) – The program includes ninety (90) days at the Boot Camp in Chelsea with strenuous physical exercise and work, including community projects. Additionally, the Boot Camp incorporates educational and vocational counseling and an aftercare program. SAI can help a defendant needing structure and stability to avoid jail time in Oakland County.

A Few More Options

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Department offers several alternatives to help defendants avoid jail time; however, not every lawyer knows what options are available or how to get their clients into the available programs.

Sheriff’s Work Release – A GPS tether-based program for offenders to live at home, maintain employment, and avoid jail in Oakland County, Michigan.

Step Forward – Utilizes the day reporting center concept to accommodate offenders and their work shifts while ensuring public safety through intensive supervision services.

Urban Drug Court – For nonviolent crimes committed in Pontiac, MI. Frequent, random drug and alcohol tests; attendance and participation in Drug Court every other week; support groups such as AA, NA, or Smart Recovery; appearing and participating in counseling sessions; completing assignments; abstinence from drugs and alcohol; and more.

WWAM (Weekend & Weekday Alternative for Misdemeanants) – A supervised Community Service Program

Zero Tolerance Program (ZTP) – Designed to assist judges in enforcing abstinence from controlled substances by incorporating random urine screens. The number of days sentenced to Zero Tolerance is instead of jail time and ordered accordingly.

Will the judge or prosecutor help me avoid jail time with a program?

Judges and prosecutors generally do not look for alternatives to help an Oakland County defendant avoid jail. As for defense lawyers, many focus on reducing jail time and fail to fight for other options that may be acceptable to the court. Many available programs can reduce or eliminate jail time or terms of probation. The defendant must complete some requirements before the sentencing hearing. If an attorney does not have great expertise in all sentencing options and specifications, they will be helpless and ineffective at sentencing. Great lawyers are proactive, and even while they are fighting every aspect of a case for their clients, they think about and prepare for achieving an extraordinary result at sentencing if there is a plea or conviction. Great golfers do not head out to the course with one club; they have a bag of clubs, each appropriate for different situations. Likewise, well-respected Oakland County attorneys have different approaches and tools at their disposal, so they are ready for any challenge presented.

Facing Sentencing and Want to Avoid Jail? We are your best hope.

The team of defense lawyers with LEWIS & DICKSTEIN, P.L.L.C. has vast experience handling felony and misdemeanor cases in Oakland County, Michigan, and a well-known track record of success. When it comes to helping a client avoid an impending jail or prison sentence, our defense lawyers will do whatever is necessary to get their clients into the best position possible to convince a judge that they deserve a chance to prove that incarceration is unnecessary. We are well known and respected for our passionate, tenacious, and creative representation of clients at sentencing. Our attorneys can frequently help clients avoid incarceration, even when it seems inevitable. Call us for a free consultation, and we will find a way to help you!

Call us today at (248) 263-6800 for a free consultation or complete an online Request for Assistance Form. We will contact you promptly and find a way to help you.