Michael R. Bartish

We contacted Michael Bartish after our teenage daughter was accused of Assault and Battery and Disturbing the Peace. The incident occurred at a past employers location after she was being taunted on social media. The incident was very ‘high-school’ and should have never made it to the legal system. ...Unfortunately it did. We called Michael for a consult on the case where he clearly explained the charges and what penalties they carried to us. By clearly communicating with us, not only at the onset but throughout the process, on the charges and our options he instilled not only a comfort level for us as parents, but more importantly a comfort level for our daughter. He was timely, patient and responsive to our many questions as we worked through the process. He did a wonderful job working with the prosecutor’s office to try and get one or more of the charges dropped. It is clear, even to an outsider, the level of respect they have for him. In the end he was able to work out a plea for her to Disturbing the Peace where she received six months non reporting probation, a small fine and HYTA. We are very grateful that we found Michael to represent us. Additionally, during the same time that we retained Michael to represent our daughter on the charges mentioned above, we had a separate incident occurring where stalking charges were filed against our daughter’s ex-boyfriend. He continually harassed her even with a no contact and PPO in place. We expressed our frustration to Michael over the lack of action that was being taken (as we felt like we were getting the runaround) and with his assistance we were able to provide the prosecutor’s office with evidence of his behavior, which prompted a show cause hearing on breaking the no contact. While we were not required to have an attorney for this case, I truly believe that had Michael not stepped in taken the lead on the case, on our behalf, it would not have ended with the successful outcome it did. We are forever grateful to Michael for the time and commitment that he put into assisting with this case. We now have peace.

As a student, it's a scary experience having to go through court. However with Michael Bartish I felt very comfortable and confident standing in front of the judge. He kept me informed and explained every step so that I understood. Michael ended up getting me the best possible outcome for my case and... I would highly reccomend him to anyone!

Michael is a top-notch attorney. Last fall I made some terrible decisions, and I got behind the wheel while intoxicated. I was arrested and charged with a high blood alcohol content DUI. It was my first offense. Considering the possible penalties for this charge, I frankly was terrified, and I didn’t... know who to turn to. One of my cousins, who had been represented by Michael in the past, highly recommended Michael. I had an initial conversation with Michael and also with several other attorneys in Grand Rapids. After speaking with all of them, I felt the most comfortable with Michael and also was confident that he was the right person for my case. What impressed me most was how Michael handled himself during my hearing. From his demeanor, tone, and speaking ability, it was clear that he is very much at home in the courtroom. His carefully chosen words seemed to capture the undivided attention of everyone in the courtroom, including – most importantly – the judge. Also, based on the dialogue between the judge and Michael, it appeared to me that the judge definitely respects Michael and views him as an excellent attorney. In short, Michael absolutely nailed it, and I am so glad that I chose him for my case. I am thankful for his guidance during a difficult, stressful chapter of my life.

I truly enjoyed working with Michael. Once taken the case, he moved quickly to get things done. He is very proactive and kept me informed on the progress of the case. He is very approachable - always replied my emails/phone calls in a timely manner. He has great knowledge in his field, and was capabl...e to make right suggestions. And most important I feel that he really cares about the client and family.

For those who read only the first two sentences, if you are looking for a lawyer, hire Michael Bartish. Michael Bartish won a Not Guilty verdict in this case. I was fully acquitted. Michael Bartish is a VERY GOOD lawyer. Michael Bartish explained the details of normal legal actions concerning a ...3rd Degree Retail Fraud case and then worked hard to figure out what was going on in my case. The judge and Meijer seemed to have a whole new interpretation of the law. The good thing was that after Michael took us through a hearing and full 6 person jury trial, the jury judged me on the law rather than on a Meijer fantasy. I was found "not guilty" because I did not steal, did not intend to steal, and did not leave the property with any store product I did not pay for in my visit. You would be amazed how difficult it was to make it through a trial that has nothing but conflicted witnesses and false accusations as evidence against against you. I praise the Lord for Michael the way he was able to keep my character witnesses in the trial when the judge clearly did not want me to have any positive testimony or evidence. Michael was able to work with witnesses in such a way as to make it clear he was walking the tight rope the judge set up by his minimization of allowable testimony. Because of how tightly he was following the rules and how it made everything look simple for the prosecution, Michael was able to lull the prosecution into overconfidence so that they attacked my character witnesses in such a way as to allow testimony concerning my innocence. Praise the Lord he was able to work through the restrictions or no one would have been allowed to introduce any evidence of my innocence. I am glad that Michael believed me and believed in me. If left to the prosecutor and judge, I feel I would have been served to Meijer on a platter. Because Meijer said I had bad intent, I was treated by the judge and prosecutor as if I had committed murder on live television. In fact, since the video would have been advantageous to me, it somehow was forgotten, lost, and never introduced. The judge urged the jury to ignore the missing video and assume that Meijer only had good intentions in "losing the video." Michael had to emphasize that there was no good reason to "lose" the video if it could show guilt. The hearing and trial were intense and I lost sleep for months before the system finally was ready to give me my day in court. Without Michael it would have been difficult to handle the pressure that is constantly mounted against a defendant. From the moment of accusation, the Meijer staff constantly told me what I had intended to do in the store. They constantly told me I was a habitual thief and yelled and cajoled me (with a good cop bad cop activity) in order to get a confession. I praise the Lord I did not confess despite the store and eventually a police officer making me think they would leave me alone if I did. That was not true at all. If I had ever lied and agreed with Meijer, I would be in jail or at least on some sort of probation. I am glad I decided not to give up my rights and to get a lawyer. I'm glad that lawer was Michael. I am glad I did not "tell the police officer my story." I hope never to have a next time, but, if I do, I will not go with Meijer staff to be haranged over and over. I will say "I will stand here while you get a Police Officer, but I will not go with you." I will also use my cell phone to call Michael Bartish. I would not want to go through something like this without him.