One night driving home near my place in Beverly Hills I made the mistake of answering a quick text and was pulled over. As the Beverly Hills PD is very strict the next thing I was arrested my vehicle searched and charged with felony of possession of an illegal substance. Before I knew what hit me I w...as facing some hefty charges and it was apparent that I had been made an example out of. None the less if I didn’t get some professional advice quickly I would be facing considerable charges and this could cause an affect on my life that would have unrecoverable consequences. As I had never been in trouble before I immediately panicked, didn’t know who to talk to as I didn’t want anyone to know or family to find out about this as I was VERY embarrassed. I immediately started to interview and dove into some petty extensive research on attorneys for this type of charge. I have one thing to say, SAVE YOUR SELF the headache, heart ache and countless hours of time I wasted. After meeting with 5 attorneys I fell upon Michael and it was like night and day. His level of professionalism and integrity he operates from is far superior than anyone else I have ever met in his field. Obviously coming into these type of situations like some of us face unfortunately they could have a huge impact on your lives. I couldn’t talk about this to anyone so it was eating me alive, i couldn’t eat, sleep or focus on my business it was killing me from the inside out. He assured me with a ROCK SOLID PLAN how he was going to go after the case and his plans was better then the other attorneys that I had interviewed. As a former DISTRICT ATTORNEY and knows the business inside and out. He did exactly that and executed it as he said he would being very supportive of my constant checking ins along the way. He was able to get the case dropped from a felony and then was able to get me a deal which meant as soon as I completed a few NA meetings, the case was dropped. As with it being foreign territory for us with a hell of a lot at stake we are sometimes not the easiest to deal with with a ton of anxiety. If you want to put your best foot forward I highly recommend having Michael represent your case as I feel there is no one more focused and passionate at defending criminal law in this city. The results were astounding, he managed to have all 3 felonies dropped and is a TRUE professional. Other attorneys should take a page out of his book. W.L.

Having a misdemeanor petty theft or felony theft conviction would have not only embarrassed me in front of family and friends, but could have jeopardized my professional license. Dealing with stress by impulsive shoplifting could have ruined so much I have worked hard to achieve. I was so afraid, a...shamed, and panicked at that possibility that I spent a sleepless night looking on line for the best criminal attorney in the Pasadena/San Marino/Glendale area to help even BEFORE charges were filed. I cannot describe the anxiety and stress I felt. By six am on a Sunday morning I could contain it no longer. Time to see if the reviews about Michael Kraut were sincere and true. I woke him up with that phone call, and with that and everything else that followed, I learned that the glowing reviews were accurate. He answers his calls personally, he means it when he says he will work hard on your behalf to get the best possible outcome, and he really does care about his client. Mike intervened immediately and was able to "make this thing go away" in one month with no charges filed. His experience with both prosecution and criminal defense allowed him to approach all parties involved in a way that minimized conflict and worked in my favor. I owe a debt of gratitude to him for helping me with this. If you are in trouble and need a lawyer who will compassionately and aggressively work on your behalf, hire Michael Kraut.

Being an innocent person yet investigated for a potential white collar crime was the most harrowing experience that ever happened in my life. Having spotless records in my personal and professional life, a potential criminal charge and a conviction with possible prison time would have devastating imp...acts on my career and family life. My family and I lived an extremely stressful life for over 6 months not knowing what could happen the next day as the outcome of the investigation. After I found out that I was being investigated, I hired a local lawyer (not from Los Angeles area) who provided a decent service in keeping me abreast of the status of investigation. However as the investigation was being completed and the DA was getting closer in making decision whether and what charge to file, I was getting increasingly anxious since this lawyer only seemed to wait for the charge to be filed and did not make his priority to prevent the charge to be filed in the first place. By the act of God I found Michael's name through a Google search, at the last minute! (The DA was about to file a charge the week after I contacted Michael!) I was highly impressed by his background as a former DA and his track records of handling pre-filing representation. I immediately made a decision to replace my previous lawyer with Mike which turned out to be one of the best decisions in my life. In our first meeting Mike explicitly stated that his main objective was to have my case dropped since he believed me that I just made a stupid mistake and did not have any malicious intent. Of course legally he could not make an advanced guarantee of the final outcome, but his objective was very clear and reassuring to me, something I did not hear from other lawyers I had previously interviewed. After Michael started representing me, I was still very worried of the outcome of my case since anything could still happen. Michael kept assuring and informing me about the progress of my case, which made me calmer. He responded to all my phone calls and emails promptly. He only asked me to trust him and allow him to do his work. After almost 2 months of work, Michael called me and my wife to his office to let us know of the final result: CASE REJECTED! We almost did not believe it when we heard it, but it was real! After over 6 months of nightmare, we got our normal life back! If you are being investigated for a potential white collar crime, don't wait even a minute to call Mike. He answers all calls himself, no secretary! As a former DA, Mike is very well connected and knows how the legal system works from the inside and the outside, and thus knows how to best approach your case and give you the best possible outcome before the charge is filed! Thank you Mike for giving us a second chance in life!

Getting pulled over after a couple of glasses of wine and being slapped with a DUI for the first time ever was the most TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE in my entire life!! I was so scared, and although I didn’t feel drunk, my BAC was over the legal limit, and at that moment I was just - SCREWED - in my mind. ...Nothing like this had ever happened to me, let alone GOING TO JAIL and being in a cell with other women who were prostitutes, armed robbers, Identity thieves – you name it. No other experience had ever made me feel that low and full of shame. I was now a “criminal”. To add insult to injury, the cops treated me like I had just committed an act of terrorism and were LESS THAN NICE, to put it in short. Being someone with no prior criminal record - EVER, an educated person with a good heart and someone always willing to help others in need, it was a HUGE blow to my self worth to be treated like a common criminal, and I now faced the criminal charges of a DUI, so the nightmare continued beyond the jail part, and I knew I was in for months of more terror and stress. I did a LOT of research on the internet and compared various lawyers I’d found. They all seemed to have big promises, but what stood out for me was that Michael Kraut was Harvard Law educated, had AMAZING reviews (I spent a lot of time in awe reading what he had done for others and I was VERY impressed), and the best of all reasons I chose him (and I thank GOD I did!!!) was that he was actually a former D.A. prosecutor for DUI offenses! He has been on the other side of the system, and is EXTREMELY WELL CONNECTED. He knows the deputies, DMV officers, other attorneys I asked him about – the man knows EVERYONE, and believe me, he knows how it ALL works -from BOTH sides. My favorite thing about Michael Kraut was that He ALWAYS answered his phone. Not some answering service, not an associate – it was always HIM. I probably annoyed him in the beginning because although I didn’t want to keep bothering him, I had a LOT of “What if’s” and “Will I’s”. Michael is a very “To-the-point, no-nonsense” person. It wasn’t only his way of alleviating my stress by reminding me to stay calm and not to over-think things (which I do), but he had confidence every time I talked to him or sent an email (which he ALWAYS promptly responds to, as well) that gave me the secure sense that he really had everything handled, so I stopped feeling the need to contact him. I didn’t have to worry about being in court – he does all of that, or going to my DMV hearings – he does all of that, too. You just hire him. He jumps. He runs. He does it ALL. The outcome of my case was certainly not one I expected: Less than a month after I hired him, he called me and asked if I was ready to hear some good news. I thought perhaps he might tell me my fine was being reduced, or something to that effect at BEST. He calmly told me my case had been DISMISSED!!! I think I was in disbelief and he must have felt my silence of disbelief, because he then calmly clarified that it was OVER and that my “NIGHTMARE WAS FINISHED”. My screams of joy and thanks probably broke the poor man’s eardrum (Sorry, Mike!) and he then politely said he had to go attend to another issue. All I could manage to get out to him amidst my confusion, relief, questions and thank you’s before he had to get off the phone was a huge “GOD BLESS YOU!!!” and I swear I could “hear” him smile over the phone as he said, ”Oh, well thank you!” and politely excused himself to end the call. Had I not hired Michael Kraut, I could have had more to lose than one ever wants to even think about: My job, a TON of my time, a lot of money in fines, higher insurance rates, my clean record, not to mention my dignity. He really was a Godsend to me and I still want to pick up the phone sometimes and just keep thanking him (and yes, he would answer, but he is a BUSY man and I’ll leave him alone :-)). I’ll say it once again anyway: “THANK YOU, MICHAEL!!!" :-)

Michael is outstandingly well-connected and has an impressive amount of experience behind him--both as a former deputy DA and as an attorney. My boyfriend was arrested for a felony (let's just say it was for something far worse than a DUI), and things were looking very, very bleak. I was suddenly f...acing the prospect of his life being forever ruined. Fortunately, even though it was a Saturday, I was able to reach Michael immediately, and he gave me sound and reassuring advice. I was so grateful and impressed by how available he was for this emergency situation-- he always responded right away to emails and calls, even during weekends and nights. His tireless dedication in gathering information and working with the DA resulted in charges getting dropped two days later (one day before the first court appearance was scheduled)!!! Those two days were harrowing; I couldn't eat or sleep. But Michael's confidence and reassurance were a comfort, and I knew I could trust Michael to handle this case better than any other attorney I had researched. My advice for anyone who is arrested is to retain Michael RIGHT AWAY. He will work tirelessly to get the charges dropped pre-filing, and that is the best possible outcome you could ever hope for in this terrible situation. Even if you are poor, like me, my advice is to do whatever you can to get him on your case as early as possible before the first court date. When charges get dropped, you will realize that having him on your side is priceless. Of course, I can't personally guarantee that your results will be the same, but I am highly confident that your best chances are with Michael. Other attorneys that I had contacted were very slow to respond or non-responsive, which is unsurprising during the weekend. But if you want to get charges dropped, time is of essence, and it is of utmost importance that you can get hold of an attorney who genuinely cares about your case and regards it as an emergency. Michael is precisely this attorney. His responsiveness and dedication is truly amazing. I could go on and on about Michael's remarkable professional qualities but I do want to add some comments about what an inspiring individual he is. He will tell you that he always treats clients as if he were in their shoes. And, indeed, I was impressed by how respectful and compassionate he was. He manages a large and powerful firm and so must be very busy, but he takes the time to personally meet with you, personally handle your case, and offer you kind words of sympathy and reassurance.