You Deserve A Real Defense

Testimonials

From the parents of a young client: “Jesse Williams provided our family with excellent legal representation. He made himself available to us to answer our questions and keep us up-to-date on every development in our case. He was a tremendous presence in the courtroom, and ensured that our rights were protected. Even during the darkest hours that we saw, Jesse remained positive and focused on winning. Ultimately, he did win. In this grim situation, he gave our son his life back. If you find yourself needing an attorney, you should not look further than Jesse Williams.”

From a juvenile defense client: “My grandson got into some trouble at his middle school concerning pot. I called Jesse and he immediately put my mind at ease about what could happen. He had dealt with the same situation many times. He set up a time for us to meet, told me the cost and continued to reassure me that he could help. As it turned out the school handled the situation in a manner our family could accept without the help of a lawyer. I called Jesse and told him I wanted to pay him for his phone consultation. He said absolutely not and that he would tear up the check. Jesse stated that because we are all working for the good of children he did not want any payment. I would highly recommend Jesse Williams. He was very helpful.”

From a criminal defense client: “Going to court for anything is stressful, let alone finding the right attorney to get the job done. Not being from the area and passing through, I had been stopped and charged with marijuana. Having heaps of responsibility in my life, I felt as though I had so much to lose (as I had). After doing thorough researching for a lawyer that not only specializes in such cases, but also won’t just give you what you want to hear, and will level with you from the start, though, I discovered Jesse. He will tell it to you straight, and keep in touch with you, while putting himself in your place by showing understanding of what you have to lose.

“To an even more important level (separate from my own issue), he is driven by ‘what is actually right,’ doing his part at making this country a better place by helping people in their situations. He looks at the bigger picture: What is morally right to maintain freedom, not necessarily what is enforced, in which some freedoms are eluded. I definitely recommend Jesse Williams to be your attorney!”

From J, a criminal defense client: “I got arrested for having my medical marijuana in a vehicle on New Year’s Eve. I ended up taking the plea bargain Jesse arranged for me which was illegal transportation of my medicine. It maxed 93 days in jail and up to a 500$ fine. I thought for sure because of past misdemeanor convictions i was getting jail time and probation for being in possession of my own medicine. Jesse was professional, knowledgeable, well spoken and to my amazement I left that court room w 100$ fine plus costs and no jail time or probation. I hope I never need to but I wouldn’t stop and think for even a second before calling Mr. Williams if I ever needed a lawyer’s advice or services.”

From D, a criminal defense client: “My son was charged with 2 felony drug charges and driving under the influence second offense. And was looking at a 4 year sentence. He was given a court appointed attorney who told us the he was nailed and had no option but to plead guilty. So after some research i called Jessie and told him the situation and that we felt that our son was not a criminal but that he was an addict and needed treatment and help. And that being branded a felon for the rest of his life would make any recovery that much harder. Jesse was very understanding and agreed completely that the system is wrong by treating the victims of drug addiction the same as hardened criminals. So he took the case at a very reasonable price, any other attorney for felony drug charges would have charged 2 to 3 times what he charged. He was very reassuring and always available. Even gave me his cell number to call anytime i had questions. he was very good at keeping us informed. He managed to get the felonies reduced to just one misdemeanor and had the marijuana charge dropped and also got the operating under the influence 2nd offense dropped to 1st offense he even took the time to council our son. Jessie is a very compassionate and experienced lawyer who cares about his clients. And goes above and beyond even after the case has ended. My wife myself and our family would highly recommend to anyone especially parents with children in trouble to hire Jesse Williams. You’ll be glad you did. Thank you Jesse Williams.”

“Jesse came recommended to me by a lawyer friend of mine after my second DUI arrest. He’s not just a great lawyer, he’s also a good guy. Unlike other lawyers, he never tried to oversell himself and never promised miracles. He only promised he’d work hard for the best result possible, and given several difficult circumstances surrounding my case, that’s exactly what he provided. And he actually genuinely cares. He handles a ton of cases in Traverse City and knows those courts inside and out. Even though my case is over, I still run into him almost every time I have an appointment down at the Traverse City courthouse.”

From a DUI defense client: “Jesse Williams, Kevin Washborn and Jesse’s assistant Sandi are the most professional people I have EVER had the pleasure of working with. I was arrested for OWI in Traverse City while I was visiting from out of state. I had never been arrested before and it had been 10+ years since I had a ticket. I had the worst experiences with the first 3 attorneys I spoke to. Thankfully, I found Jesse Williams on my 4th try. There is not one negative thing I can say about him or his staff. Jesse was the only attorney who within 5 minutes of hearing my case told me exactly how much he was going to charge me, what he can get the charges dropped to and how long the whole process will take. Jesse gave me his cell phone number and had his assistant Sandi follow up with me every step of the way. Jesse even facilitated my alcohol risk assessment to be done over the phone to prevent an extra visit to Michigan. Jesse was called on another case on the same day of my court date, but his assistant Sandi made sure I had all the information on his associate, Kevin Washborn who would be representing me in his place. Sandi even called me the morning of my court date to make sure my drive in was ok and to give me some comforting advice (she was so great). Kevin Washborn, my attorney that day, came in fully prepared and had already spoken to Jesse multiple times that day to make sure everyone was on the same page. The judge ended up dismissing my operating while intoxicated charge and instead it was reduced to operating while impaired. I was given no probation or any other punishment besides court fees. Jesse personally called me after court to explain everything to me and to touch base, which was very thoughtful. I cannot express in words what Jesse, Kevin and Sandi did for me. There is absolutely no comparison if you are looking for straightforward, no BS, professional representation. Don’t waste your time on the others who just see you as another case, you want someone who will take the time to treat your case with the respect it deserves.”

From a criminal defense client: “I called Jesse upon being pulled over for possession of a controlled substance in Gaylord, MI. I had a very small amount of marijuana and fully cooperated with law enforcement. Jesse quoted a fair flat fee of $1500 to handle the case, but after reviewing local laws and decisions I decided to represent myself. Jesse was completely understanding of this decision and continued to make himself available for free legal advice. He provided instructions on how to proceed and information on the prosecuting attorney and Judge in Gaylord. Thanks to his help, I asked the Court (prosecutor) for a 7411 plea and the Judge for a plea-by-mail because of my out-of-town student status. Both were granted. I paid a $290 fine and provided I avoid trouble for 6 months, a clean criminal record. Jesse’s guidance and accessibility were critical in providing me the needed information on the process, what to expect and how to proceed. The fact that he was not only willing but eager to help speaks volumes about how much he cares for his clients. He seemed like a good guy, especially relative to some Defense lawyers. I am certainly thankful he provided free advice and a calming influence in the moments after a very unfortunate encounter with law enforcement.”

From A, a criminal defense client: “Jessie took the time to run the preliminary exam. This is a step that most lawyers opt out of because it means more work. The case was based out of Oakland county. Jessie took the time to make two extra trips in order to run the exam. The result was the case was dismissed. I believe, if he had opted out of the exam, we would have gone straight to the plea process. He went the extra mile to make sure the prosecution had the right to charge me. I have and will recommend Jessie to anyone that has a legal issue.”

From D, a domestic violence client: “We hired Jessie Williams to handle a Domestic Violence/DWLS case in Traverse City, MI. We were assigned a public defender, but the public defender had no intention of defending the charge. He only wanted to plea it out.

“Mr. Williams consulted with us and felt that the charge would not stand in court. Mr. Williams defended this case with the utmost compassion and decorum. He communicated with us regularly, keeping us updated on all motions, hearing dates, prosecutor meetings & discovery. Mr. Williams was honest in his assessment of the case, and forthwith with any investigative findings.

“We found Mr. Williams fees to be customary & reasonable. He even went against his normal protocol allowing us to pay his fee in installments. The only thing he required was that the fees be paid before the hearing date. Almost unheard of in today’s attorney contracts.

“Mr. Williams did get us a NOT GUILTY verdict. He made his case on cross examination of the prosecutors witnesses alone. All this was accomplished with adamant resistance from the prosecutor’s office.

“I would highly recommend Jessie Williams for any legal situation that may arise. His office staff was courteous, attentive, and a pleasure to work with. His investigative staff was first rate, and stayed with the case through the hearing.

“We are very fortunate to have found the right advocate in Jessie Williams. Please consider his firm when looking for legal counsel. He has a broad area of experience and he covers a wide area of Northern Michigan. We witnessed a high respect from all areas of the court system towards him and from him.

“You can rest assured if using Mr. Williams you will receive honest and sound legal advice, as well as excellent support from his staff. 5 STAR rating from us.”

From H, a criminal defense client: “Jesse helped me immensely. He was very knowledgeable about my case from the beginning and continued his education regarding it. He always went above and beyond, doing things more than he needed to and keeps doing so, even after the case has been closed. I always felt comfortable trusting him with the case and providing me a positive outcome.”

From D, a DUI defense client: “I hired Jesse L. Williams for my young but adult son who made some poor choices and found himself needing an attorney. Not knowing what to expect, in the beginning, I will admit I was a little put off by Jesse’s directness and knack for getting to the point. Although these were the qualities that in end I appreciated the most. Mr. Williams and his staff not only kept us all informed and on the same page with how to proceed with our case, they were always professional but courteous and friendly. I was scared for my son, but always felt Mr. Williams was doing everything in his power to help, without giving false hope or making promises he couldn’t deliver on. Bottom line, when all was said and done, I was very happy and relieved with the outcome. Mr. Williams did a fantastic job! On an unrelated matter, I was also moved to tears when Mr. Williams called later as a follow up to see how we were doing after he learned of a death in our family. I would recommend anyone to Jesse L. Williams!!”

From a criminal defense client: “I have been extremely pleased with Jesse’s representation of my adult son. My son had made poor choices and ended up with various court appointed attorneys. The attorneys would plead out his case, not to the benefit of my son, but to get it over with. The fines and court costs were adding up faster than he could keep up with, which in turn he would be re-arrested for not paying his fines. My son was on a downward spiral within the legal system. He was becoming a victim of the “revolving door” (more fines + unable to pay = arrest = more fines + unable to pay = arrest) justice system. Jesse was able to work with the judges: His matter-of-fact approach in pointing out the “revolving-door” my son was going through and keen negotiation skills allowed my son to work with Community Corrections to assist in paying off his fines and get his life back on track. I will also mention that, on several occasions, Jesse spent time speaking and coaching my son about his choices and exploits. He stressed that not only do his actions affect him but how it affects his family and how these actions are detrimental to his future. I feel that having an authoritative figure like Jesse speak with him one-on-one made a huge difference in my son’s attitude and behavior to this day.

“I am happy to say that my son has been able to find full-time employment (a miracle in this society) and was recently promoted to a management position. I cannot thank Jesse enough for all he has done for my son.

“I would recommend Jesse to anyone but especially to mothers/parents of children (minor or adult) in trouble.”

From K, a criminal defense client: “I recommend Jesse very highly! He seems to truly care about his clients, he lost as much sleep as we did while going through this ordeal. He is not just in the business for the money. He is not afraid to speak for his client and stand up for what he believes if fair and just, even if it means possibly stepping on the judges toes. He represented our son in a probation violation case that appeared to be pretty futile. He never sugar coated anything. He gave us the facts and kept us informed. I was always able to get a hold of him if I had questions and he always gave us straight forward answers. Unlike our first attorney who represented our son, he never returned our calls and always skirted around the question. Our son was totally misrepresented in his original conviction. I wish we would have had Jesse from the start, maybe things would be different today.

“Jesse went above and beyond his job. He counseled our son, he helped get needed professional testing done on short notice and he did not judged our son due to his prior conviction. We trusted Jesse and he did not let us down. Due to Jesse’s hard work and determination our son is currently going to college and in the process of getting his life back together, instead of being in prison.”

From P, a Chapter 11 client: “I have had to face several situations where I have had to acquire legal representation. Most were for common occurrences, such as a divorce, others were of a more personal nature. Of all the attorneys I have dealt with, Jesse impressed me the most. He adheres to his promises, quick to respond, and I find him quite trustworthy. He is always willing to listen to me, asks questions, and would give solid, comprehensive suggestions. He is extremely knowledgeable, but quick to admit when not. (He will get back to you with the correct information in a timely manner.) All of this is given in the most compassionate manner. He really does care about his clients. I would highly recommend Jesse to anyone in need of representation.

From a criminal defense client: “After being charged with two felony counts, I interviewed several attorneys from the Traverse City area. After speaking with three firms, I knew that Jesse Williams was by far the best choice for my case. Mr. Williams went above and beyond my expectations. Even in the darkest hours, he never gave up on me and continued to fight no matter what. In court, he was an absolute Pitbull for my cause. He tirelessly pursued every avenue to ensure the best possible outcome, even one that was beyond my initial expectations. He often would call me just to check in on my mental state throughout the entire legal process. After seeing him in action in court, I knew that I had made the best decision in hiring Jesse Williams. In my opinion, there are no other choices in Traverse City.”

From a DUI defense client:  “I would recommend Jesse as legal counsel as he proved to be invaluable when I was facing my DUI charge. As a teacher and a mom I knew that this charge could greatly impact my livelihood and I was immediately put at ease after talking to Jesse and his assistant Jenn. Jesse assured me that he would help me to the best of his ability, and he was even able to get my charge lessened which meant a better outcome for cost fees and maintaining my license.  Throughout the process both Jesse and Jenn communicated with me both over the phone and through email which also helped ease my worry through this process. They also offered suggestions on what I could do to help my case, which ultimately worked out in my favor. I chose to seek out Jesse’s legal counsel after he was successful in helping other family members several years ago, where he was the only lawyer who was successful in helping my family during their difficult charge as well. I am so thankful to Jesse and Jenn for all they did, and would recommend their services to anyone in need of a compassionate and dedicated legal defense.”