Neighborhood disputes don't often lead to criminal charges but when they do, you can bet tensions will run high.  Just last week, I represented a woman at trial who was accused, along with her husband, of beating up a neighbor.  She came to me last November and hired me to defend her against the charges of First Degree Assault (a felony) and Second Degree Assault.

I immediately began to investigate the situation by visiting the crime scene and speaking to whatever witnesses I could find.  Additionally, I looked into the victim's background and found that he had not always been the most honest individual in the world.  He had been accused of many different crimes, including theft.  I attempted to use the information gained from my investigation to convince the prosecutor to drop all the charges against my client but she refused to do so.  As such, I continued to prepare for trial.

At trial, my familiarity with the scene, the witnesses and the event were very helpful.  Also, the jury was not impressed with the victim, in part because I was able to show them the convictions I dug up.  I had prepared my client for her testimony and she was very persuasive on the stand.  She was, ultimately, found not guilty of all charges.

This case just reinforced in my mind the importance of preparing for trial and leaving no stone unturned.  It's always nice to put in the hard work and see a good result.