Friendly staff! They listen to what you need and make great suggestions as to how you should proceed.
-Joseph Mclain
THE ROLE OF YOUR DEFENSE ATTORNEY
WHAT IS A CRIMINAL CASE?
A criminal case is one initiated by the state or federal government with the goal of punishing a crime, provide an incentive to prevent future crime, satisfy the public sense of retribution and provide an opportunity to reform the criminal when possible. A criminal case is filed by a government entity and involves misdemeanors or felonies. The purpose of the criminal justice system is to provide society with stability and security based on laws created by our state and federal government.
In a criminal case, the state must prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt by convincing a jury of Motive, Intent & Malice. Only the defendant may appeal the jury’s decision and is considered innocent until proven guilty.
The work of a criminal defense attorney is very similar to the roles we see on popular television shows. As an advocate for the accused, the criminal defense attorney protects their client’s interests and makes sure the law is working as it should. A criminal defense attorney needs to do the following for their clients:
- assess the merits of the case by determining the odds of conviction or acquittal
- preparing the best strategy for their client’s defense
- handling a plea to lesser charges based on the offers from the prosecution and the best interest of the client
- trying the case in court by assessing a jurors opinion of the client and the charges against the defendant
- presenting evidence to support the case
- questioning witnesses according to the rules of the court where the case is being tried
Trials
Cases
Person Team
Primary Practice Areas
Family Law
Family Law is the collection of laws dealing with situations with a significant impact on family relationships.
Some of the areas family law covers are:
- child custody & child support
- mediation
- estate planning
- wills
- trusts
Personal Injury Law
A personal injury lawyer helps their clients determine who is legally responsible for the harm suffered due to an injury which resulted from:
- negligence
- workplace injuries
- vehicle accidents
- defective products
- medical mistakes
Traffic Law
The most common experience a person has with the legal system is traffic violations.
Hiring an attorney to fight your ticket can help by:
- reducing the charges to lower the fine
- preventing damage to your driving record.
- review the ticket for any mistakes by the issuing body
- getting the ticket dismissed.
Our Team
Michael Wesley
Owner & Founder
Born and raised in Bethalto, Illinois, Michael graduated from Civic Memorial High School in 1995.
From 2003 to 2009, Michael was employed by a large civil defense firm in Madison County, Illinois, where he gained valuable experience in taking depositions, managing cases, negotiating settlements, and forming and maintaining excellent client relations.
Admitted to practice law in Illinois and Missouri and is a member of the bar in both states.
Michael currently lives in Bethalto and is married to Courtney Wesley. They have four children: Jacqueline, Ayden, Hudson, and Sienna.
Personal & Professional Achievements:
- 1995 Bethalto Boys’ and Girls’ Club “Youth of the Year”
- Fontbonne University- Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science/Pre-Law- 1999
- Southern Illinois University School of Law- JD cum laude-2003
Christie Sands
Office Manager
Christie is our Office Manager for the Law Office of Michael Wesley; she has been with our firm since 2017. Christie brings over 20 years of administrative experience in Office Management, Human Resources, and Accounting. She assists in developing and implementing firm policies and procedures; manages and oversees the administration of HR policies, programs’ and practices within the firm; she also maintains accounts payable, receivables, and monthly billing. She brings to the law firm her personal and professional philosophy that every person has a life story that should be treated with integrity and respect.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband Justin, her daughter Bryn, and gets to be a bonus mom to Alex, Justin, Jacob, and Chloe. Christie enjoys watching her children play sports and exploring new adventures with her family.
Angy Richards
Paralegal
Angy joined the Law Office of Michael Wesley in September of 2019. She is our paralegal that handles all our Personal Injury, Landlord-Tenant, Probate cases, along with doing our Wills and Trusts for clients.
Angy studied at Lewis and Clark Community College, bringing years of experience and knowledge to our Personal Injury cases. Before working for our office, Angy spent time working Personal Injury and employment files in St. Louis, Missouri.
Outside of work, Angy enjoys traveling with her family and watching sports.
Chelsea Cox
Paralegal
Chelsea joined the Law Office of Michael Wesley in 2019. She is a full-time paralegal working primarily on family and domestic relation cases. Chelsea enjoys working closely with clients to help make the complicated and often arcane process of a family law case as easy and understandable as possible. Clients universally enjoy speaking with her, and she strives to assist them in all facets of their family law case.
Chelsea graduated from Lewis & Clark this year and obtained her Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies. She will be attending Southern Illinois University Edwardsville next spring to pursue her Bachelor’s Degree in English.
Outside of work and furthering her education, Chelsea enjoys spending time with her two daughters.
From Our Clients
Our greatest asset is the trust our clients have in our professionalism and advice. We believe the choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. We encourage you to read the information provided on our website and the reviews from our past clients. Then schedule a complimentary consultation and receive additional information.
Contact Us About Your Case
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The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.