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.

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.

I can't say enough about Mike Bruggeman. He is extremely knowledgable and has an excellent ability to analyze legal issues, and interact with prosecutors and judges, as well as the jury. He truly cares about his clients, and In my case his fees were extremely fair given the amount of work he put in...to the matter, his expertise, and the results obtained. Criminal defense lawyers will often have some clients who blame their lawyer for being convicted, but Mr. Bruggeman gave me sound legal advise and guidance at every turn.