Home » Wichita Criminal Defense Attorneys

When you need a criminal defense lawyer, you want someone you can trust to protect you from serious allegations and fiercely defend you and your rights. Joseph, Hollander & Craft’s top-rated criminal defense lawyers have the legal expertise necessary to prepare and execute the best defense for you. Our Wichita criminal defense lawyers serve clients throughout Kansas, protecting their interests in state and federal criminal investigations and prosecutions.

Experienced Defenders Who Deliver Results

Our lawyers provide a comprehensive approach to your defense, combining independent investigation, thorough research, deep scrutiny, and powerful advocacy both in and out of the courtroom. We are known throughout Wichita and across Kansas for our creativity and unmatched results. We represent clients at all stages of the criminal defense process in municipal, state, and federal criminal courts. Whether you’ve just received a worrying call from a detective or you’ve been arrested and charged with a crime, we know how to protect you from becoming a victim of the system. Our Wichita criminal defense attorneys have a long record of achieving desired outcomes for our clients, whether seeking an acquittal at trial or a beneficial negotiated resolution.

Advocates and Advisors

Our Wichita criminal defense lawyers combine superior courtroom advocacy with compassionate counsel and clear communication. Our goal is to guide our clients to the best possible result. If a trial is not the best path, we negotiate a favorable plea agreement. At sentencing, we continue fighting – presenting evidence and expert testimony as we fight for mercy from the judge. In some cases, a thorough mitigation strategy makes the difference between prison and probation.

No Matter the Charge, We Have You Covered

Our Wichita criminal defense lawyers have decades of experience defending clients across the state. We have extensive experience in Sedgwick County, Butler County, Sumner County, Reno County, Barton County, McPherson County, Saline County, Ellis County, Ellsworth County, Greenwood County, Ford County, Rice County, and Finney County—but we travel all over the state. We also represent individuals charged with crimes in the United States District Court for District of Kansas.

We defend clients charged with:

• Federal Crimes
• State Crimes
• Municipal Crimes
• Drug Crimes
• DUI Offenses
• White-Collar Crimes
• Sex Crimes
• Violent Crimes
• Property Crimes
• Ongoing Investigations

And more. If you have been charged with a crime in Wichita, Salina, Hutchinson, Dodge City, Garden City, Emporia, Hays, or Great Bend, our Wichita criminal defense attorneys have you covered.

Top-Tier Criminal Defense

JHC’s criminal defense attorneys are committed to excellence, and our criminal defense lawyers have an outstanding reputation for high-quality defense work. Our reputation is reflected in peer reviews in Martindale Hubbell®, Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, and Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.

On Your Side When You Need Us

Our top-rated Wichita criminal lawyers are often involved in high-profile cases, but we treat every case with importance. We are committed to obtaining favorable results for all of our clients, regardless of whether your case made the front page (and keeping you off the front page whenever possible!).

If you have a criminal charge or are the subject of a criminal investigation, contact one of our Wichita criminal defense attorneys today.

Top Questions About Criminal Defense in Wichita

My friend has been arrested. How do I get him/her out of jail?

Almost all individuals arrested for either a state or municipal charge will have a bond amount set shortly after the arrest. Bonds can range from anywhere between a few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the charge, the arrested individual, and the jurisdiction. These bonds are typically designated as either “cash or professional surety.”

There are generally four things that can be done once a bond is set:

1. Hire a bondsman,
2. Pay the bond,
3. Remain in jail, or
4. Request a bond reduction.

Bondsmen are private businesspeople who sign someone out of jail, promising to ensure that the individual will appear at his or her court dates. If a bondsman signs someone out and that person then flees, the bondsman can be sued by the court for the full bond amount. A bonding company will charge a fee to provide such a service, typically around 10% of the bond amount. Once the case is over, the bondsman keeps that fee.

Alternatively, a person can pay the full bond amount to the court. Once the case is over, that bond would be returned to the person who paid it, minus any costs and fees assessed by the court as part of the case. The court can also keep the bond if the person flees or misses court after posting a cash bond.

If no bond is paid and no bonding company hired, the person will remain in custody during the pendency of his or her case, which can take months or years.

An attorney can also request that a bond amount be reduced. A judge will hear arguments about having a bond amount reduced. The primary considerations of the court in making this decision are public safety and ensuring that the individual will return for all of his or her hearings. Many factors can influence the court’s decision, and one of the skills of a good defense attorney is being able to create a viable release plan to assuage any of the court’s doubts about reducing the bond.

What is an “O.R.” bond?

“O.R.” stands for “own recognizance.” There is typically a cash amount associated with an O.R. bond, so it will often appear as $5,000.00/OR or $10,000.00/OR. This is a special bond where someone can sign himself or herself out of jail, but agrees that the court can collect that designated cash amount upon any subsequent failure to appear in court.

What happens at my first court date?

Generally, the first hearing in any case is called a “first appearance.” First appearances are required by law. At the hearing, the judge will ensure you know what you have been charged with, what the potential penalty is, and ask whether you have hired a lawyer. It is extremely rare for witnesses to testify or for evidence to be presented at a first appearance. First appearances typically only last a few moments. More intensive hearings take place later on in a case after the prosecution has provided the defense attorney with evidence they possess leading them to believe the defendant is guilty of the charged offense.