Michael Ralph Bruggeman

I am a civil lawyer, hired Mike for family member. Good results at a reasonable price. I have seen him in court. PROS: Good, smart, criminal lawyer, well-liked by judges and prosecutors, which is important since 95% of cases are plea bargained at some point. You may be innocent, but after 6 month...s of being bullied by prosecutors you may be glad when Mike negotiates you summary probation for misdemeanor disturbing the peace instead of rolling the dice on an assault charge and years in prison. That's not his fault, the system sucks, innocent people plead guilty all the time to minor charges to avoid the cost of trial and the risk of prison. FEES: Criminal lawyers are often stiffed for fees, so they ALL are insistent about payment up front, or else they go broke. Mike's fees are competitive, but all successful criminal lawyers insist on payment up front. CALLBACK: Clients get very frustrated when their lawyer doesn't call them back. But good lawyers spend their time in court, and they don't have time to answer your phone calls asking a million questions two weeks before YOUR court date. When a lawyer is in court defending you from 10 years in prison, you want him 100% focused on your case. While he is fighting for your life he may have 200 messages from other clients on his desk or answering machine. When it us YOUR turn in court, do you want Mike to take time off from fighting for your life to answer non-urgent questions from other clients? CONS: Mike is a sole practitioner, not a huge law firm. If you have a huge complicated case, or you want someone to talk to, hire a big law firm BY THE HOUR and they will be happy to talk to you all day long for $500 an hour, paid in advance. Mike knows the law, knows the prosecutors and judges, and is there for you when it counts, when you are going to trial or negotiating a plea.

Mr. Bruggeman knows the ins and outs of criminal law. He has given me advice that is amazing in terms of how the system works, and how best to handle difficult issues. He seems to know the judges and prosecutors very well, and uses that knowledge, and his reputation, to his client's advantage. I c...annot say enough of about this lawyer--he really cares, and I found his fees to be very reasonable given the level of representation his clients receive.

I hired Mike to represent my daughter who had two cases simultaneously in two different counties. Each case was handled discretely and with great finesse and professionalism. As a result, neither court or prosecutor was aware of the other offense. The penalties would have been much greater othe...rwise. I was very pleased with his work and my daughter came out of everything just fine and is on the right track thanks to Mike's efforts. I have since referred a good friend to Mike . Thanks Mike.

Bruggeman's only concern while representing me seemed only to be the money that he would receive from my dealing with him. He demanded half of his legal fee up front, and then after only two weeks told me to pay the other half, which I followed through with, if anything because of his exhausting, inc...essant nature. He had no problem repeatedly calling me about his fee, but when I tried calling him to inquire about certain aspects of the case he was never available. He was absolutely unprofessional in that respect, as he would always claim to be on vacation or busy otherwise. Finally, after a year of inactivity, and just general unresponsiveness from his side, he called me up telling me to come to court, without any prior notice, to sign for a plea deal. The charge I was facing was a misdemeanor, and I had no prior record, and still he was unable to help me. I got a substantial amount of hours community service as a result of my charge, and an ugly record that has since made obtaining employment difficult. He is absolutely apathetic in his practice, and will do nothing for your defense. He will just collect your money, and sit on his posterior, making excuses for every bit of negligence that he is responsible for.