Are you looking for a criminal defense lawyer in Maple Grove?
At Archambault Criminal Defense, we have built a criminal defense practice on 16 years of trial work.
If you’ve been arrested or charged with a crime in Maple Grove, taking the right steps toward building your defense is crucial. Most people have never been through this. They do not know what the paperwork means, what the first hearing involves, or what they’re allowed to say to the officer who calls them back.
Our founder spent his entire 16-year legal career in criminal law, most of it as a prosecutor, before moving to the defense side. That background shapes how we read a case file. It also shapes what we tell you in the first meeting, which is free. Contact our Maple Grove, MN criminal defense lawyer to review your charges.
Criminal Defense Lawyer Maple Grove, MN
A criminal defense lawyer represents a person the government has accused of a crime. That covers everything from a citation for disorderly conduct to a felony complaint filed by the Hennepin County Attorney. The lawyer’s job is to test the State’s evidence, protect the client’s constitutional rights, and push for the best resolution available, whether that’s a dismissal, a reduced charge, a diversion program, or a not guilty verdict at trial.
Maple Grove police data shows 914 total arrests in 2025, including 146 DWI arrests and 328 reported assaults. Detectives charged 505 cases by formal complaint that year. Every one of those cases started with a person who had to decide what to do next. Our Maple Grove criminal defense lawyer can be that next step.
Types of Criminal Defense Cases We Handle in Maple Grove
Our Maple Grove criminal defense attorney takes on nearly every kind of criminal charge filed in Hennepin County, from petty misdemeanors through serious felonies. The only matters we typically decline are complex white-collar and financial fraud cases. Our founder’s time as a prosecutor gave him direct exposure to how each of these charge types is investigated, filed, and negotiated.
- DWI. Our founder handled several thousand DWI cases as a prosecutor, more than any other charge type. We challenge the stop, the field sobriety tests, the breath or blood test, and the officer’s paperwork, and we fight the license revocation that runs alongside the criminal case.
- Assault. Assault charges range from misdemeanor fifth-degree assault to felony second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. Self-defense, mistaken identity, and disputes over what actually happened are common in these cases, and we investigate all of them.
- Domestic assault. A domestic assault arrest usually comes with a no-contact order that affects where you can live and whether you can see your children. We address the order and the underlying charge together.
- Drug crimes. Possession, sale, and paraphernalia charges depend heavily on how the police found the drugs. Unlawful searches and weak proof of who controlled the substance are two of the strongest defenses available.
- Theft and property crimes. Retail theft is one of the most common charges in Maple Grove because of the shopping corridor near Arbor Lakes. We also handle burglary, criminal damage to property, and receiving stolen property.
- Shoplifting. Many first-time shoplifting cases can be resolved without a conviction through diversion or a continuance for dismissal. We have also had charges dropped outright where our client was misidentified.
- Gun crimes. Carrying without a permit, ineligible possession, and firearm enhancements on other charges carry serious consequences. We have negotiated felony weapons and assault cases down to gross misdemeanors with no jail time.
- Felonies. Felony cases from Maple Grove are heard in downtown Minneapolis, not at the suburban courthouse. We handle felony assault, drug, theft, and no-contact order cases, including ones where the State sought mandatory prison time.
- Misdemeanors. Disorderly conduct, obstruction, trespass, and similar charges are still crimes. A misdemeanor conviction shows up on background checks, and we treat these cases with the same care as felonies.
- Expungement. Sealing an old record can open up jobs and housing. We also handle firearm rights restoration and defense against restraining order petitions, which are closely related to our criminal work.
Why Choose Archambault Criminal Defense as My Criminal Defense Lawyer in Maple Grove, MN?
A Former Prosecutor Who Knows How the Other Side Builds a Case
Derek Archambault spent most of his 16 years in criminal law as a Minnesota prosecutor before opening a defense practice. He has sat on the other side of the table across several thousand cases. He knows which arguments move a prosecutor, which ones don’t, and what a judge in Hennepin County expects to see before granting a favorable sentence.
That matters in practical ways. A former prosecutor can often spot a weak probable cause statement, a missing element in a complaint, or a procedural error in the evidence the State relies on within minutes of reading the file. Our firm is a solo practice, so the attorney you meet at the free consultation is the attorney who appears in court.
Case Outcomes
We do not promise results, but we can point to what we have done for clients facing charges like yours. A selection of our results:
- Felony third-degree assault, State seeking 90 days in jail: client acquitted by a jury.
- Felony second-degree assault and threats of violence with a three-year mandatory minimum: felony charges dismissed, no jail.
- Gross misdemeanor second-degree DWI with a 90-day mandatory minimum: client served 30 days of house arrest.
- Misdemeanor shoplifting: dismissed after our investigation showed the client had been wrongly identified.
- Gross misdemeanor theft conviction entered after a missed hearing: case reopened and dismissed entirely.
Every case we accept is handled on a flat fee. You pay one amount before work begins, and you’re not billed by the hour as the case moves forward. In rare situations an outside cost, such as a witness fee, may be passed along, but that is the exception.
Understanding Criminal Defense Cases
Charges, Penalties, and Defense Strategies for Criminal Defense Cases
Minnesota sorts criminal offenses into petty misdemeanors, misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, and felonies, and the category controls where your case is heard, what sentence is possible, and how long the record follows you.
- Charge level. The same conduct can be charged at different levels depending on prior record, injury, weapon involvement, or dollar value. Getting a charge reduced by one level often changes everything.
- Sentencing structure. Felony sentences follow the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines grids, which weigh offense severity against criminal history. Misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor sentences are set by the judge within statutory limits.
- Alternatives to conviction. Pretrial diversion, continuances for dismissal, and stays of adjudication can keep a conviction off your record if you complete conditions.
- Burden of proof. The State must prove every element beyond a reasonable doubt. You do not have to prove anything.
- Defense strategy. Suppression of unlawfully obtained evidence, challenges to identification, self-defense, lack of intent, and negotiated resolutions are the tools we use most often.
Important Aspects of a Criminal Defense Case
The first few weeks after an arrest tend to decide more than people expect. Evidence disappears, witnesses forget, and early statements to police get locked into the file. A Maple Grove, MN criminal defense lawyer should be involved before those statements happen.
- Timing of charges. Under Minnesota’s statute of limitations, most crimes must be charged within three years of the offense, though serious offenses carry longer periods or no limit at all.
- Release conditions. Bail and what conditions the court attaches shape your daily life for months.
- Your statements. Anything you say to officers, in a text, or on social media can be used against you.
- Collateral consequences. Immigration status, professional licenses, firearm rights, and driving privileges are all affected by certain convictions.
What Is the Criminal Defense Case Timeline?
Most cases our criminal defense attorney in Maple Grove, MN handles move through a predictable sequence, though the pace varies with the charge level and the court’s calendar.
- Arrest or citation. You may be booked and released, held for a bail hearing, or simply mailed a summons.
- First appearance or arraignment. The court reads the charges, addresses release conditions, and sets the next date. This early hearing matters more than most people realize.
- Discovery and investigation. We obtain the police reports, body camera footage, and lab results, and we conduct our own investigation.
- Pretrial or omnibus hearing. Motions to suppress evidence or dismiss charges are argued here.
- Resolution. The case ends in dismissal, a negotiated plea agreement, or trial. Sentencing follows any conviction.
What to Bring to Your Criminal Defense Consultation
Bring whatever paperwork you received to your consultation. If you have them, take the following information with you to your appointment.
- The citation, complaint, or summons
- Bail or release paperwork and any no-contact order
- Names and contact information for witnesses
- Texts, emails, or photos related to the incident
- A summary of any prior criminal history
The consultation with our Maple Grove criminal defense attorney is free. We will walk through the charges, the likely path of the case, and the flat fee before you decide anything.
Maple Grove Courthouses and Local Criminal Justice Resources
Misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor cases from Maple Grove are heard at the Brookdale courthouse at 6125 Shingle Creek Parkway in Brooklyn Center. Felony charges go to the Hennepin County Government Center or the Public Safety Facility in downtown Minneapolis.
The Maple Grove Police Department operates from the Public Safety Facility at 12800 Arbor Lakes Parkway North, where people arrested in the city are booked and may be held briefly before transfer to the county jail. Local matters range from routine shoplifting arrests at Arbor Lakes to cases like the Boy Scout trailer theft reported in the city.
Reach Out to Archambault Criminal Defense to Schedule a Consultation
A charge is an accusation, not a conviction. Our Maple Grove, MN criminal defense attorney offers a free consultation, and every case is handled on a transparent flat fee, so you know the cost before you commit. Contact us to talk with a criminal defense attorney in Maple Grove about your case.
