Were you charged with a felony in Blaine, MN?
At Archambault Criminal Defense, we provide felony defense in Blaine from an attorney who has spent 16 years inside Minnesota’s criminal courts.
If you’ve been charged with a felony in Blaine, you may be holding a complaint you don’t fully understand, staring at a first court date, and carrying a list of questions nobody has answered yet. The stakes are different at this level. A felony conviction follows you into every job application, apartment lease, and background check for the rest of your life.
Archambault Criminal Defense is a solo criminal defense practice built on 16 years of work in Minnesota’s criminal courtrooms. Our Blaine, MN felony lawyer spent most of that career as a prosecutor, and we now put that perspective to work for the people we defend. Reach out to schedule a free consultation.
Felony Lawyer Blaine, MN
A felony lawyer defends people accused of Minnesota’s most serious criminal offenses. Under Minnesota’s felony definition, a felony is any crime that carries a possible prison sentence of a year or more. That single line separates it from every misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor on the books. The label attaches to a wide range of conduct, from a bar fight that leaves someone with a broken bone to possessing a firearm after a prior conviction.
Blaine Police Department detectives investigated 1,129 cases in 2024, according to the department’s annual report, and the felony complaints that come out of those investigations are filed in Anoka County District Court in downtown Anoka. A felony attorney in Blaine, MN steps in at the front end of that process, before the first hearing, to review the evidence, protect your rights, and begin shaping how the case gets resolved.
Types of Felony Cases We Handle in Blaine
Felony charges in Minnesota cover far more ground than most people expect. We take nearly every kind of criminal case, with the exception of complex white-collar and financial matters. The categories below account for most of the work our felony attorney in Blaine, MN handles.
- Felony assault. Second and third degree assault charges typically involve a weapon or an injury more serious than bruising. We look hard at self-defense, at whether the injury actually meets the legal threshold, and at who started the confrontation. Many of these cases depend on witness credibility rather than physical evidence.
- Domestic assault. Prior domestic-related convictions can push a new charge to the felony level, and a no contact order usually follows the arrest. We handle the criminal case and the order together, because violating one creates an entirely new charge.
- Drug crimes. Possession and sale cases are charged by degree, based on the substance and the weight involved. We examine the stop, the search, and the lab work before ever discussing a plea. A suppressed search often ends the case.
- Theft. Once the value of the property crosses the felony line, a shoplifting or criminal damage case becomes something that can carry prison time. Restitution and early negotiation have produced outright dismissals for our clients in cases like these.
- Felony DWI. Repeat impaired driving offenses within a set period can be charged as a felony. Derek Archambault handled several thousand DWI cases as a prosecutor and knows exactly how these files are built.
- Gun crimes. Ineligible person in possession, carrying without a permit, and firearm enhancements attached to other charges. These offenses carry some of the stiffest mandatory minimums in Minnesota, and that makes early negotiation critical.
- Probation violations. A felony probation violation can result in a previously stayed prison sentence being executed. We have had violations dismissed by proving the alleged violation was a paperwork error, and we argue for continued supervision when the violation is real.
- Threats of violence. People are often surprised to learn that a heated statement, sent by text or shouted in an argument, can be charged as a felony. Context matters in these cases, and we make sure the court hears it.
- Fleeing police in a motor vehicle. A bad decision behind the wheel that lasts thirty seconds can become a felony complaint. We focus on what the driver knew and intended, not just what the squad video shows.
Why Choose Archambault Criminal Defense as my Felony Lawyer in Blaine, MN?
A Former Prosecutor Handling Your Defense
Derek Archambault spent the bulk of his 16-year career prosecuting criminal cases before opening a defense practice. Our criminal defense lawyer in Blaine, MN knows how a felony complaint gets drafted, what the state has to prove for each element, and where those files tend to be weakest. Every felony matter is handled by Derek from the first phone call through resolution.
We charge one flat fee for the entire case, quoted before any work begins. There is no hourly billing added afterward. In rare cases, an outside cost such as a specialized witness may be passed along, but that is the exception.
Results in Felony Cases
Our felony results include the following outcomes for clients:
- Felony second degree assault carrying a one-year mandatory minimum. Resolved as a misdemeanor, with dismissal after one year of probation.
- Felony third degree assault, with the state seeking jail time. Acquitted by a jury.
- Felony second degree assault and threats of violence, with a three-year mandatory prison sentence on the table. Felony charges dismissed, no jail.
- Felony shoplifting of $4,388 in merchandise. No jail, with dismissal upon completion of probation.
- Felony drug charges paired with a felony probation violation. Violation dismissed, and the drug case set for dismissal after one year of probation.
What Is Important to Understand About a Felony Case?
Charges, Penalties, and Collateral Consequences in Felony Cases
Minnesota sentences felonies using sentencing guidelines that weigh two things: the severity level assigned to the offense and your criminal history score. Where those two intersect produces a presumptive sentence, which may be prison time or a stayed sentence served on probation. Some offenses also carry mandatory minimums that limit what a judge can do regardless of the circumstances.
The sentence is only part of it. A felony conviction also brings:
- Loss of the right to possess firearms
- A permanent criminal record visible on employment and housing background checks
- Immigration consequences for non-citizens
- Problems with professional licenses and security clearances
- Restitution, fines, and court costs on top of any jail or prison time
Later expungement may become possible for some convictions, but it is never guaranteed. The better plan is to avoid the felony conviction in the first place, whether through dismissal, a reduction to a lesser offense, or a stay of adjudication that keeps the conviction off your record.
Important Aspects of a Felony Case
The state must prove every element of the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. That standard does real work in felony cases, where the evidence is frequently circumstantial and the witnesses have their own reasons to shade the truth. A few things tend to decide outcomes:
- How the evidence was gathered. An unlawful stop or search can be suppressed, and a case without its key evidence usually gets dismissed.
- Witness credibility, including prior inconsistent statements and what prosecutors build on when no physical evidence exists.
- Whether the facts actually satisfy the felony threshold or describe a lesser offense.
- Your criminal history, which affects both the presumptive sentence and how far the prosecutor is willing to move.
- Timing. For most felonies, Minnesota requires the state to file charges within three years of the offense, though crimes resulting in death have no time limit and several other offenses carry longer windows.
What Is the Felony Case Timeline?
Felony cases move through more hearings than misdemeanors and take longer to resolve. Several months is common. A year is not unusual. In Anoka County, the process generally runs as follows:
- Arrest or summons, followed by a first appearance where bail and release conditions are set
- A felony arraignment, where the formal complaint is addressed and a plea is entered
- An omnibus hearing, where motions to suppress evidence or challenge probable cause are argued
- Pretrial negotiations, which may produce a plea agreement, a reduced charge, or a dismissal
- Trial before a jury at the Anoka County Courthouse, followed by sentencing if there is a conviction
Most felony cases resolve before trial. But the best pretrial offers tend to go to defendants whose Blaine felony lawyer the prosecutor believes is ready to try the case.
What to Bring to Your Felony Consultation
Bring whatever you have to your consultation with us. If some of it is missing, we’ll work with what’s available.
- The criminal complaint and any citations, summons, or court notices you received
- Bail or conditional release paperwork and your next court date
- Names and contact information for witnesses, along with any texts, photos, or video tied to the incident
- A summary of your prior convictions, even old ones
Consultations with a Blaine, MN felony attorney are free and confidential. We’ll walk through the charge, your realistic exposure, and the defenses that make sense on your facts. We can also leave you with a flat fee quote rather than an estimate.
Reach Out to Archambault Criminal Defense to Schedule a Consultation
A felony complaint is the state’s opening position, not the final word. Your consultation with a Blaine felony attorney is free, and our fee is flat. Contact us to schedule a time to talk about your case with a felony defense lawyer in Blaine, who has seen these files from both sides.
