Pre-Trial Motions

Pre-Trial Motions in Criminal Defense Cases

Opening statements to the jury, fierce cross-examinations, and closing arguments in a trial make for compelling television. What is less dramatic and no so often shown, but what will often have much more to do with the outcome of a case, is a motion to dismiss or a motion to suppress evidence that defense lawyers might present to the judge before the actual trial ever begins.

These "pre-trial motions" are the foundation and "work horse" of any criminal case.

Preparing to Win, Preparing to Lose

The Shellow Group* has been highly effective in using pre-trial motions to exclude evidence that hurts its clients and to admit evidence that is beneficial to their cases. We believe that much of this success is due to the fact that we do not use "boilerplate" forms or "cut-and-paste" techniques when crafting pre-trial motions on behalf of our clients. People do not come out of a mold and we believe that our work should not either.

We provide a full range of custom-written pre-trial motions, including:

Motions in limine
Motions to suppress
Motions for discovery
Motions for dismissal
Motions for summary judgment
Motions for a separate trial on each charge
Motions to sever a case from a co-defendant's
Motions for change of venue

Convincing a judge to side with your arguments before trial can pave the way for later success in the courtroom or even result in an outright dismissal of the case before the process goes further. However, there are many instances where it is beneficial to make pre-trial motions for rulings that you full expect will go against you. Using pre-trial motions in this way can raise issues that later become the grounds for a successful appeal should trial not result in a favorable outcome.

In any case, preparing these motions right takes time, time to listen and to understand the individual and all of the particular facts and factors involved in the case. We do not shy away from this responsibility nor from those we represent.