CRIMINAL DEFENSE
Experienced Defense Counsel
Michael Horowitz has represented hundreds of individuals and has tried dozens of misdemeanor and felony trials. His cases and trials have spanned the entire spectrum of criminal charges from disorderly conduct and drug possession to kidnapping and murder. Throughout those cases, Michael Horowitz has won numerous not-guilty verdicts, acquittals, and dismissals.
A few of Attorney Horowitz’s criminal trials:
State v. SH. Client was an outspoken critic of the government and a past president. Client was charged with assault and some lesser misdemeanors after he attempted to engage with some passersby on the street corner where he was holding a large “Impeach Obama” sign. The group leader grabbed client’s sign and client clearly announced he would defend himself. Of course, client was charged rather than the instigator because client’s the type of guy that hangs out on the corner with a sign. The prosecutor refused to budge, the court denied a motion to dismiss based on client’s right to free speech, and Michael Horowitz took the case to trial. A jury of six community members unanimously determined that client was not guilty.
State v. AQ. Client lightly rear-ended complainant on a notoriously bad stretch of road. There was no real damage and the responding police officer wrote client a ticket for being responsible for the collision. The complainant, however, had other ideas. In what Attorney Horowitz later argued was an attempt to make client pay for his pre-existing medical conditions, complainant badgered the prosecutor until the prosecutor charged client with felony assault. Attorney Horowitz took the case to trial: the police witness essentially took the defendant’s side and was invited by the prosecutor to leave, a neurosurgeon balked at the complainant’s claims, and Attorney Horowitz presented the jury chiropractic records showing that complainant’s medical issues went back for years. A jury of 12 unanimously determined that client was not guilty.
State v. JC. Client took care of his elderly uncle. Uncle, whose mind had deteriorated with age and alcohol abuse, claimed that client had on multiple occasions stole money from his bank account. Client was charged with an assortment of charges including 16 felonies. The prosecutor made several offers for a plea bargain, but client insisted on his innocence. Attorney Horowitz took the case to trial and presented evidence that uncle was known for passing out money around town when drinking and then accusing people of stealing from him and bank statements to support those claims. Attorney Horowitz argued that it was a sad case but that client’s use of uncle’s funds was authorized by uncle and used pay for uncle’s bills. A jury of 12 unanimously determined that client was not guilty on all counts.
State v. BR. Client was accused of misdemeanor assault for essentially beating up the town drunk after he drunkenly made nasty threats to an older disabled woman that client cared for. At trial, client acknowledged that could have used more restraint and should have referred the matter to the police rather than engaging in self-help. Even so, a jury of six found that client’s intervention did not rise to the level of assault and unanimously acquitted client of that charge.
State v. CL. Client was charged with assault after removing his teenage daughter from a drug-house. A jury of 6 unanimously agreed that a father could use force to remove his daughter from that situation and found client not guilty. A law enforcement officer later expressed his relief that the jury acquitted and confided to Attorney Horowitz that he could not believe someone would charge a father for trying to protect his daughter.
Payment and Fees
The Law Office of Michael Horowitz accepts hourly, flat-rate, and payment plans for criminal cases. Fees and arrangements depend on the type of case. Attorney Horowitz accepts all forms of payment including checks, most credit cards, and PayPal.