While I have defended many different types of criminal accusations, I have handled a particularly large number of the following:
My practice is limited to criminal defense. In addition to representing individuals who have been formally charged with a criminal offense, I also represent many individuals who have not been arrested or charged, but are concerned that they may be in the future. In those cases, my efforts are focused on heading off criminal charges. Those efforts always include in-depth discussions with the client, and often involve interviewing potential witnesses, gathering, and preserving evidence. If it is advisable to bring in a private investigator, a forensic scientist, a forensic psychologist, or other expert assistance, I can draw from an extensive network of experienced professionals I have worked with over the years. Towards the goal of avoiding formal criminal charges, it is often necessary to engage in discussions with the detectives and prosecutors who may be interested in your case. Having handled criminal cases in many, if not most, of the counties of Oregon, I have had the opportunity to become acquainted with many law enforcement agencies and district attorneys’ offices. I believe it is generally understood by those on the other side that unless their case against my client is solid, they had best not bring it.
If you have been charged with a crime in Oregon, I am prepared to help you. I have defended a great number of individuals who have found themselves accused of crime. The decision to go to trial or to negotiate a manageable resolution is the decision you, the client, must make. My job is to provide you with the best possible list of options to choose from and the advice you need to make a wise decision. That requires me to work hard, work smart and work with you. If a trial is called for, then I will “go to the mat” for you without hesitation. I have taken to trial everything from Capital Murder to Shoplifting. Every trial is serious business that calls for thorough preparation, a sound strategy, and a seasoned trial lawyer. If you believe a negotiated settlement is best, then that too requires thorough preparation, a sound strategy, and a seasoned trial lawyer. Prosecutors tend to make better offers to defendants who are represented by a lawyer who has a history of outstanding results and has demonstrated a willingness to test the government’s case rather than recommend acceptance of an unreasonable offer. Time and time again, I have had the privilege of seeing the relief and joy of clients when they hear the judge or jury announce their verdict of ‘not guilty.
In addition to defending clients accused of crime, I have served as a youth mentor, coached a high school Mock Trial team that went to State Finals, served on the Executive Board of the Criminal Law Section of the Oregon State Bar Association, served on the Uniform Criminal Jury Instruction Committee, served as Disciplinary Counsel (trial counsel) for the Oregon State Bar, and presented at a number of legal education conferences on subjects such as Cross-Examination, Defense Motions, and Victim’s Rights.
If you tor a loved one needs an Oregon criminal defense attorney, give me a call at (503) 224-7878, or complete the contact form provided on this site. The first half hour of consultation is free of charge.
Practice Areas and Legal Definitions
Sex Crimes:
Sex crimes can include such charges as: Child Abuse, Child Pornography, Date Rape, Failure to register (as a Sex Offender), Indecent Exposure, Internet Porn, Lewd Conduct, Marital Rape, Molestation, Obscenity, Pedophilia, Pornography, Prostitution, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault, Sodomy and Statutory Rape. Many sex crimes are considered felonies and require convicted defendants to continually register themselves as publicly recognized sex offenders with the local and state authorities where they live and work. Charges of sexual misconduct carry extremely serious penalties and these crimes are commonly punished more severely than any other crime except murder. Sexual misconduct is seldom witnessed by anyone other than the accuser and accused and the risk of conviction of an innocent person is drastically higher in these cases.
Domestic Violence:
Domestic violence is any physical, emotional, sexual or other violence that takes place between people who may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay, or lesbian; living together, separated or dating. Domestic violence can be criminal and include physical assault: hitting, pushing and shoving, etc., sexual abuse: unwanted or forced sexual activity, and stalking. Domestic violence charges can have a serious impact on your life.
Felony Crimes:
Felony Crimes involve drug and narcotics charges, arson, burglary, armed robbery, murder and/or attempted murder, rape and/or sexual assault, kidnapping and aggravated assault and battery. A felony conviction is a serious matter that can result in a substantial state prison sentence and the potential loss of certain privileges and Constitutional rights of U.S. citizenship, such as the right to possess a firearm or the right to vote.
Misdemeanors:
Misdemeanors are more serious than petty offenses, but much less serious than felonies. Misdemeanors typically result in imposition of such punishments as a fine or a jail sentence not exceeding a year. If a jail sentence is imposed, it is served at a local, city or county jail rather than a state or federal prison (penitentiary). In many jurisdictions and in certain types of cases defendants who can’t afford an attorney are not entitled to a court-appointed attorney in a misdemeanor case. Unlike felonies, misdemeanors are usually handled by special courts with abbreviated procedures, such as a city court or municipal court.
Serious Violent Crimes and Murder:
By definition, a violent crime is a behavior by persons, against persons or property that intentionally threatens, attempts or actually inflicts physical harm. The seriousness of the injuries to the victim(s), whether or not guns or other weapons were used and/or whether or not the alleged perpetrator has a criminal record will determine the seriousness of the charge. Most violent crimes are considered felonies and are subject to be considered a “strike” in a state that has adopted three strikes laws. Violent criminal charges can include: aggravated assault, arson, assault and battery, domestic violence, hate crimes, homicide, larceny, rape, manslaughter, mayhem and murder.
One of the most serious areas of violent crime is homicide – killing a person, whether lawfully or unlawfully. Justifiable homicide and excusable homicide are lawful homicides, while criminal homicide, negligent homicide, reckless homicide and vehicular homicide are unlawful homicides. Unlawful homicide comprises the two crimes of murder and manslaughter.
Drugs and Narcotics Charges:
Drugs and Narcotics laws have tried to keep up with the changing perceptions and real dangers of substance abuse. By 1970, over 55 federal drug laws and countless state laws specified a variety of punitive measures, including life imprisonment and even the death penalty. To clarify the situation, the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 repealed, replaced, or updated all previous federal laws concerned with narcotics and all other dangerous drugs.
Most states have laws that give different treatment to possession of different categories of drugs (i.e. prescription drugs, marijuana, crystal methamphetamine), and also make a distinction in the offense charged as to whether a small amount of the drug was found with the defendant (personal use) or a larger amount (intent to sell or distribute, trafficking). A conviction on a drug charge of any magnitude, even a small amount of marijuana, can seriously affect your present and future employment chances, your education, your reputation and your freedom.
Expungement Motions:
An Expungement of your record results in the extraction and isolation of all records on file with any court correctional facility or law enforcement agency. The records that are expunged include complaints, warrants, arrests reports, commitments, criminal history records, fingerprints and your rap sheet.
Contrary to popular belief, your record is not automatically cleared or expunged with the passage of time. Even if you were never found guilty, an arrest is not expunged unless a court grants your Expungement petition. State statutes impose application guidelines and waiting periods for various types of arrests and convictions. The guidelines provide instruction for what can be expunged and set forth certain specific types of offenses that cannot. The guidelines also impose waiting periods that are calculated from the completion of the sentence imposed by the court.
It is important to note that an Expungement does not destroy records; it extracts and isolates the records. Under most circumstances, once an Expungement has been granted those records cannot be disclosed. A person who has been granted an Expungement can respond that he or she has no conviction when asked a question about having a criminal record. Exceptions to this rule include a person seeking a second Expungement, a person seeking a conditional discharge, and a person seeking to obtain employment in law enforcement.
What to bring to a consultation:
Juvenile Delinquency:
Delinquency is a legal term for criminal behavior carried out by a juvenile. Delinquent behavior is divided into two categories: status offenses and delinquency offenses. Status offenses are those acts which would not be considered offenses if committed by an adult, such as school truancy, running away from home, alcohol possession or use, or curfew violations. Juvenile Delinquency offenses involve destruction or theft of property, commission of violent crimes against persons, illegal weapon possession, or the possession or sale of illegal drugs.
Juvenile Court:
Juvenile court is unique and should not be treated as if it were adult court for young clients. While the substantive criminal law is the same in juvenile and adult court, the procedures and sentencing law are substantially different. The consequences of a misstep by an attorney inexperienced in juvenile matters can be devastating. For example, contrary to what many parents believe, a juvenile conviction is not removed from a child’s record when he or she turns 18.
Despite the rehabilitative focus of juvenile court, juvenile convictions are counted as criminal history in future cases. They also remain on state criminal records databases and may affect a young person’s ability to enter college, obtain employment, financial aid, a driver’s license or join the military. Additionally, juvenile convictions can result in commitment to a juvenile detention facility or institution for periods ranging from days to months and even years. Worse, in some cases, a child may end up being prosecuted in adult court where the punishment is even more severe.
DUI/Driving Under the Influence:
“DUI” stands for Driving under the Influence and occurs when someone is operating, or is in actual physical control, of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or other controlled substance to the extent that their mental faculties are impaired and/or their blood alcohol content (BAC) is above the legal limit. Even for a first offense, penalties can include license suspension, substantial fines, community service, mandatory attendance at a state or DMV approved alcohol program, mandatory overnight incarceration and the required installation (at the offender’s expense) of a car ignition locking device. In addition, a DUI conviction stays on a DMV record for several years, it typically results in higher insurance premiums, and an offender may become ineligible for credit. Plus, a DUI could also jeopardize your employment opportunities.
However, if someone was injured as a result of the drunken driving accident, it is possible the defendant will be charged with a felony (and if the victim dies, the driver may be charged with vehicular manslaughter). Further, a DUI conviction will likely be raised to a felony if it is the driver’s fourth DUI offense or the driver has had a prior felony DUI offense within 10 years of the new charge.
White Collar Crimes:
High-tech professionals, corporate executives and clergy who are criminally charged for offenses such as corporate theft, counterfeiting, embezzlement, forgery, hacking, fraud, tax evasion or bad checks are often referred to as “white collar” offenders and are prosecuted for white collar crimes. In some cases, first-time offenders are convicted and sent to prison, even with no prior criminal history. An arrest and conviction for one of these crimes can have a serious impact on your life.
Appellate and Post Conviction:
In an appeal, an appellate court reviews the record of the pre-trial and trial proceedings for legal errors. The record includes the court file, the court reporter’s transcript and the evidence and exhibits introduced in the trial court. In general, an appellate court does not consider information that is not contained in the record.
A post-conviction petition is the general name for what is called a “collateral attack” on a conviction. In federal court, they are called habeas corpus petitions. By using a post-conviction petition, a defendant generally can bring evidence before the reviewing court that was not part of the record on appeal, and in this way raise issues that would otherwise not be reviewed.
Internet Crime:
Internet crime is defined as any illegal activity involving one or more components of the Internet such as websites, chat rooms and/or email. Internet crime involves the use of the Internet to communicate false or fraudulent representations to consumers. These crimes may include, but are not limited to, advance-fee schemes, non-delivery of goods or services, computer hacking, phishing, pharming, programming worms, viruses or employment/business opportunity schemes.
Fraud:
In criminal law, fraud is the crime or offense of deliberately deceiving another in order to damage them — usually, to obtain property or services from him or her unjustly. Fraud can be accomplished through the aid of forged objects. In the criminal law of common law jurisdictions it may be called “theft by deception,” “larceny by trick,” “larceny by fraud and deception” or something similar. Fraud can be committed through many methods including mail, wire, phone and the internet.
If you or someone you know in Portland, Lake Oswego, Tigard and the counties of Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas needs the assistance of an experienced Oregon Criminal Defense Attorney, call Timothy Bowman today at 866-265-7786 , or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your initial consultation.
Professional Profile
If you or someone you know in Portland, Lake Oswego, Tigard and the counties of Multnomah and Clackamas, Washington needs the assistance of an experienced Oregon Criminal Defense Attorney, call Timothy Bowman today at 866-265-7786 , or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your initial consultation.
ADDRESS OF THE FIRM:
Timothy M. Bowman, Attorney at Law
Congress Center
1001 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 1100
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: 866-265-7786
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Timothy M. Bowman
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http://www.tbowmanlaw.com/
Timothy M. Bowman, Attorney at Law
Congress Center
1001 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 1100
Portland, OR 97204
Toll Free no. (866) 602-9916
Telephone: (503) 224-7878
Fax: 503-465-8931
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