Thompson & Hiller Defense Firm

Do not talk to police without first consulting an experienced criminal defense lawyer (not a real estate lawyer, divorce lawyer, or personal injury lawyer). If you are a witness in a case, be aware that you can quickly become a defendant when police do not like what you have to tell them. Or you may have been a suspect from the beginning – police can and will lie to you to get you to make incriminating or inconsistent statements. If you are a suspect, be aware that the police want to talk to you for one of two reasons: 1) they have probable cause to arrest you, they are going to arrest you, and they are hoping you will make incriminating or inconsistent statements to give them additional evidence, or 2) they don’t have probable cause to arrest you, and they are hoping you will say something that gives them probable cause to arrest you.

In some cases, we can file a motion to reduce your bond when you cannot afford to bond out. We can also file a motion to reduce your bond based on a change in circumstances since your bond has been set.

There are several types of bond that may be set including: • A PR bond – the person will be released once they have been “processed” by the jail, • A 10% bond – you must pay 10% of the bond amount to the clerk of court, and it will be returned, minus administrative fees, at the end of the case, • A cash bond – you must 100% of the bond amount to the clerk of court, and it will be returned, minus administrative fees, at the end of the case, or • A surety bond – you must retain a bondsman to sign for you before you can be released. The bondsman will charge a nonrefundable fee (and may require additional collateral) for the service.

If you think there is a bench warrant for your arrest, call your criminal defense lawyer immediately. We may be able to 1) confirm whether there is a bench warrant, and 2) file a motion to lift the bench warrant which hopefully will be heard before you are picked up by the Sheriff’s Office. In many cases, your best chance to have the bench warrant lifted without an arrest is to appear at your hearing and explain your circumstances to the court.

Our goal is to get your charges dismissed or to win your case at trial. Whether this is possible will depend on the facts of your case and the law that applies to the facts of your case – every case is different. Your case could be dismissed at a preliminary hearing for lack of probable cause, it could be dismissed by the prosecutor before your trial begins, or it could be dismissed by a judge on a motion filed by your attorney.

Although it is not always required, it may be a good idea to retain a different lawyer for your criminal appeal. First, it could help to have a fresh set of eyes to review your case. Second, if your appeal is unsuccessful, your next step is to file a post-conviction relief (PCR) action which is usually based on ineffective assistance of counsel and which could create a conflict of interest for your trial attorney (or your appellate attorney if there are claims of ineffective assistance related to the appeal).

Your criminal defense lawyer at the Thompson and Hiller Defense Firm will do everything possible to get your case dismissed before a trial. If your case is not dismissed, and if the state does not agree to an offer that you can accept, your case will go to trial.

We accept most criminal cases in SC state courts at the Thompson and Hiller Defense Firm including: Driving under the influence (DUI) charges, Drug crimes, Violent crimes, Domestic violence charges, Property crimes, Traffic violations, Criminal appeals, and PCR proceedings.

Some criminal convictions are eligible for expungement in SC including 30-day misdemeanor offenses after three years, YOA convictions after five years, domestic violence 3rd degree after five years, simple possession of any controlled substance after three years, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance after 20 years, juvenile convictions, and failure to stop for a blue light. If your case has been dismissed, you have been acquitted at trial, or you have completed a pretrial diversion program, all records of your case can also be expunged.

Even if you are guilty and you intend to plead guilty, you need an effective criminal defense lawyer on your side. Your lawyer may be able to get your case dismissed, get you into a pretrial diversion program, win your case at trial, or negotiate a better plea agreement for you. You may have defenses that you are unaware of, the state’s case may not be as strong as you think it is, and, regardless of the strength of the state’s case, your attorney can present mitigation on your behalf that may reduce your charges or your sentence.