State v. A.B.
Dec 10, 2015OUTCOME: Dismissed
Client was charged with being a Minor in Possession. Prosecutor agreed to dismiss the charges.
PRO
Edward Jacob Sternisha's Legal Cases (98)
Grand Rapids, MI
DUI and DWI Lawyer at Grand Rapids, MI
Practice Areas: DUI & DWI, Criminal Defense, Civil Rights
Sec. of State v. C.S.
Dec 07, 2015OUTCOME: No License Sanction
MAJOR CLIENT VICTORY!! My client told me that he hired me for two reasons. He called many other lawyers and got the same response from each- that he would likely lose. Then his friend told him t ... o Call Ed Instead because I had represented him (the friend) earlier in the year. Yes, I did tell him that he may likely lose – because that is how these particular hearings go. But I also told him I would dig deep and investigate – and push hard to win. His case today was at the Secretary of State. The purpose was that he was arrested for Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) and it was alleged that he refused to submit to a blood test upon request of a State Trooper. If we lose, my client's driver's license WILL be suspended for at least one year. I let the trooper testify. He stated that he stopped my client for failing to use a turn signal at an intersection and that he subsequently arrested him for OWI. Then I opened my laptop and presented the trooper’s own dashcam video. I said, “Trooper, can you see my client’s turn signal blinking?” He said yes. In the end I asked the Hearing Officer to grant my client’s appeal because the traffic stop was unreasonable and therefore the arrest was unreasonable and as such, my client’s refusal WAS reasonable. Then my client heard what he had been hoping to hear. The Hearing Officer for the Secretary of State said, “Counsel, I agree!” We won! All the client wanted was someone who would fight for him. Yes, the odds were stacked against him, but my investigation showed he never should have been stopped to begin with. Remember, If you drink, call a cab. If Arrested, “Call Ed Instead!”® (616) 233-CALL-ED.
People v. A.B.
Nov 23, 2015OUTCOME: Fines/Costs
HAPPY CLIENT! Had court this morning for a client who was to be sentenced for impaired driving. His incident occurred 12 years ago but he left the state and didn’t deal with the issue until now. I e ... xplained to the judge the circumstances and expressed how much the client had grown. The judge really understood the client as a person and sentenced him to fines and costs, along with 5 days community service. He received no jail and no probation – this allows him to return to his job out of state and continue with his life. He was very happy with the outcome. Remember, if you drink, call a cab. If Arrested, “Call Ed Instead!”® (616) 233-CALL-ED
State v. S.W.
Nov 20, 2015OUTCOME: No License Sanction
ANOTHER WIN! Instead of losing his license for one year for allegedly refusing to take a blood test, my client now has the same license he previously had. As the holidays approach, remember to celeb ... rate responsibly. If you refuse to take a preliminary breath test (PBT) BEFORE an arrest, you face a civil infraction ticket. There are no points added to your license, you simply pay a fine. If you refuse to take the breath blood, or urine test AFTER arrest, you face a minimum one-year suspension of your driver's license. This is not a criminal offense but you will have 6 points added to your driving record. The officer said my client refused to take a blood test so he would automatically have had his driver's license suspended. He hired me and I filed a request for a hearing which we went to today. My client is now very happy that his license will not be suspended. So remember... If you drink, call a cab. If Arrested, "Call Ed Instead." (616) 233-2255.
People v. A.R.
Sep 03, 2015OUTCOME: CASE DISMISSED
CASE DISMISSED! Picked a jury recently for a trial this week but the jurors were able to stay home on the day of trial - and the client, who was originally charged with Retail Fraud, is happy. Surprisi ... ngly, he was actually convicted prior to my getting involved because he didn't understand the system and had no attorney. He was going to be sentenced to 20 days in jail. Attorney Jeanne Reed and I got his conviction withdrawn and proceeded to trial. After a thorough investigation it was discovered there was something missing from the prosecutor’s case. You see, no one SAW him steal anything. They did, however, see him pay for the items with his card. The clerks later claimed he stole from the store and they had video proof - so he was arrested. It was determined through this investigation that there was no video. As such, the so-called witnesses could not testify to what they saw on the video – because it doesn’t exist. This is why you always plead not guilty and "Call Ed Instead!" (616) 233-CALL-ED.
People v. D.B-P
Aug 27, 2015OUTCOME: Super Drunk DISMISSED!
HUGE CLIENT VICTORY! My client was arrested and charged with Operating While Intoxicated with a High BAC (Super Drunk). During my investigation I discovered inconsistencies with the police report and ... the dashcam video. As I looked into it more, things just weren’t adding up so I met with the prosecutor and shared my findings. The more we both looked at the case, it was evident that the police version of events would not support a conviction and the criminal charges were dismissed in exchange for my client paying a small fine for a minor traffic violation (a civil infraction). In this case, I was fortunate to work with a prosecutor who was more interested in seeking justice than just seeking a conviction. While every case is different, it is always important to have someone on your side who knows what to look for. Drunk driving is dangerous. If you drink, call a cab. If arrested, “Call Ed Instead!” (616) 233-CALL-ED.
People v. C.C.
Aug 17, 2015OUTCOME: Reduced
Client was arrested and charged with OWI (drunk driving) and Careless Driving for allegedly driving over 90mph in a 30mph zone. Client was a recent college graduate who landed a great job and in all o ... ther respects was a very responsible young adult. Eventually I was able to obtain a dismissal of the OWI and the Careless Driving charges in exchange for a guilty plea to Impaired Driving (OWVI). Client received no additional jail and was placed on probation for only 6 months.
People v. D.S
Aug 10, 2015OUTCOME: Case DISMISSED!
CASE DISMISSED! My client was arrested for Felonious Assault due the fact that she held a knife during a violent argument with her boyfriend. She was the one who called 911 for help but she was arrest ... ed because she admitted that she had a knife. During my investigation I was able to discover that she only held the knife because she was scared of her boyfriend who had been violent toward her many times. He had been in prison several times for felony domestic violence. It was determined that she never threatened him with the knife, she merely held it while he was being violent. After she put the knife down, he attacked her, knocking her to the ground and bit her hand,…just because she was holding a pack of cigarettes that he wanted. Although the prosecutor’s office charged her with Domestic Violence, after taking the time to consider the evidence that I revealed, they agreed to dismiss the charges against my client. I am thankful to the assistant prosecutors who I worked with because they took the time to look at all of the evidence. Although I felt confident that I would obtain a not guilty verdict at a jury trial, by getting a dismissal at a pretrial conference, my client was able to go home a free woman today.
People v. N.A.
Jul 20, 2015OUTCOME: Diversion
Client was charged with Domestic Violence against a family member. The alleged victim did not want client to have a conviction. In the end, client pled under a program that allows first offenders to ... have no published conviction if he or she successfully completes probation. Client and alleged victim were pleased with the outcome.
People v. J.F.
Jul 15, 2015OUTCOME: Reduced Plea - No Jail
Client was arrested for Retail Fraud-2nd Degree for allegedly stealing over $400 worth of merchandise from a store. Client's biggest fear was jail as it could mean losing a great job. In the end, cli ... ent was able to plead guilty to Retail Fraud-3rd Degree (a lesser offense) and received no-jail time. Client was very happy with the outcome. Sometimes people make mistakes that can affect the rest of their lives, it is always important to have proper representation for the best outcome.