Fremont Criminal Defense Attorney
Fremont is the largest city in Newaygo County, out on M-82 in the west of the county — a manufacturing and food-processing town that is the economic centre of the area and employs a large share of the people around it. I am Shawn Haff, and I defend people charged with crimes throughout Fremont and Newaygo County. If you have been arrested, or you know you are under investigation, talk to a defense lawyer before you talk to anyone else. The call is free and I am available 24/7 at 616-438-6719.
Where Your Fremont Case Will Be Heard
Fremont cases go to the 78th District Court at 1092 Newell St in White Cloud for misdemeanors and felony arraignments, with felonies tried at the 27th Circuit Court at the same address — about twenty-five minutes east.
Knowing the building is the easy part. What matters is knowing how that particular bench handles a first offense, which prosecutor has room to negotiate, and what the local diversion options actually are — see my 78th District Court page for how these cases run.
The Charges I See Most in Fremont
Fremont's caseload is a working town's caseload. M-82 and the county roads produce the OWI and drug stops; the employers produce a steady stream of cases that begin with a workplace drug test, an internal theft investigation, or an incident that HR reported to police. In a town where one or two employers dominate, a criminal charge and an employment problem tend to arrive together.
- OWI and drunk driving on M-82, Stone Rd, and the county roads
- Drug charges and marijuana charges, including cases that surface through workplace testing
- Embezzlement and theft allegations arising from employment
- Domestic violence and assault
- Retail fraud and driving on a suspended license
- Expungement of an old conviction that is blocking work
What Is Actually at Stake
An employer's internal investigation is not a neutral process and it is not confidential. The interview you sit through in a conference room can be handed to a detective the same week, and a written statement given to keep a job frequently becomes the strongest evidence in the prosecution. If your employer wants to talk to you about something that could be a crime, talk to a lawyer first.
What to Do Next
Do not resign in the hope that the matter goes away, and do not sign a repayment agreement that recites what you supposedly did. Both are read as admissions, and neither ends a criminal case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is a Fremont case heard?
At the 78th District Court, 1092 Newell St, White Cloud, for misdemeanors and felony arraignments, and at the 27th Circuit Court at the same address for felony trials.
My employer wants to interview me about missing money. Should I?
Not before you speak to a lawyer. An internal investigation is not privileged, and what you say in it can be given to police and used against you. That does not mean refusing outright is always right either — there are employment consequences to weigh — but the sequence matters, and the conversation should not happen first.
A workplace drug test came back positive. Is that a criminal charge?
Not by itself. An employment test result and a criminal charge are separate things, and one does not prove the other. How the sample was collected, what the result actually shows, and how police came by it are all open questions — and they are worth pressing before conceding anything.
Talk to a Fremont Defense Lawyer Today
A criminal charge moves fast, and the first days matter most. Call me directly at 616-438-6719 for a free, confidential consultation — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.