Criminal Defense

The practice

A criminal charge puts both your liberty and your record on the table. The next several months will determine where they end up. The right strategy depends on the specific charge, the evidence in the state’s file, and the court the case is set in. There is no generic playbook.

Hassan K. Bazzi leads the criminal defense practice. He was selected to Super Lawyers Rising Stars in 2021 and 2022 and has tried cases ranging from first-time misdemeanors to high-class felonies in Wayne County and the surrounding districts.

Charges we handle

• Felonies. Assault, drug offenses, weapons charges, financial crimes, and sex offenses. The matters that carry prison exposure and a permanent record.
• Misdemeanors. Larceny, simple assault, disorderly conduct, trespassing, and retail fraud. Smaller charges that still surface on background checks for years.
• OWI and DUI. First offense, second offense, super-drunk (BAC 0.17 or higher), and OWI causing injury or death. Each tier has different penalties and a different defense path.
• Drug crimes. Possession through trafficking under both Michigan and federal statutes. The legality of the stop, the search, and the chain of custody often matters more than what was found.
• Domestic violence. Domestic assault charges and the related personal protection order proceedings.
• Theft and property crimes. Larceny, burglary, robbery, fraud, and embezzlement.
• Weapons and firearms charges. Felony firearm, CCW violations, felon-in-possession, and brandishing. The penalties are often mandatory and stack on top of the underlying charge.
• Sex offenses. Criminal sexual conduct charges in all four degrees, sexual assault, and registry-related matters. These cases require careful handling at every stage.
• Violent crimes. Arson, kidnapping, and similar offenses that carry significant prison exposure.
• Solicitation and prostitution. Charges that often involve sting operations and constitutional issues around the stop and arrest.
• Probation violations. A minor slip can put you back in front of the original sentencing judge with worse exposure than the underlying case carried.
• Post-conviction relief. Motions for new trial, sentencing relief, and appeals where the record supports them.
• Expungements. Michigan’s Clean Slate Act expanded eligibility substantially in 2021. Records that were once permanent may now be set aside.

How a case is handled

• Discovery before strategy. Every police report, body camera and dashcam recording, lab result, and witness statement is reviewed before any strategy conversation. The case lives in those pages.
• Identify the issue worth pressing. Some cases are tried. Some are negotiated. Some are challenged on the stop, the search, or the chain of custody. The right answer is in the file.
• Trial readiness. If the case has to be tried, it is tried. Hassan handles preliminary examinations and trials regularly.
• Direct communication. You should not learn about developments in your case from a court notice. The firm communicates with you first.

Why clients choose LegalSolv for criminal cases

• 10+ years of Wayne County trial experience
• Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2021 and 2022)
• Practice conducted in English and Arabic
• Direct access to the attorney handling your case
• Strategies built around the principle that the burden of proof is on the state, not on you