We are not telling you this to frighten you. We are telling you because we believe the most respectful thing we can do for you is to be honest.
The decisions you make right now — in the early days and weeks of this situation — will shape the outcome. The attorney you choose, the strategy you pursue, the way you engage with the legal process — all of it matters.
What to do early in a criminal case:
Don’t talk to police without an attorney. Invoke your right to remain silent and your right to counsel. The impulse to explain yourself is natural, but statements made without counsel rarely help and frequently hurt.
Don’t delay hiring representation. Every day matters. Evidence can be lost, deadlines can pass, and early procedural decisions can narrow your options.
Don’t assume the worst outcome is the only outcome. Charges are the beginning of a process, not its conclusion. Many cases that appear dire at the outset resolve far better than the defendant initially feared.
Don’t try to handle this alone. The Massachusetts criminal justice system operates by rules, timelines, and procedures that take years to master. You deserve someone on your side who has already mastered them.
There Is Always a Path Forward
Whatever brought you to this moment — whether you are facing charges yourself, supporting someone you love through this experience, or simply trying to understand a system that has suddenly become very real to you — know this:
There is always a path forward. Sometimes it is harder than we would like. Sometimes it requires fighting for outcomes that don’t come easily. But it is always there, and it is always worth pursuing.
About Milligan & Higgins
At Milligan & Higgins, we have spent over four decades building the kind of firm that treats every client as a person, not a case. We explain things honestly. We communicate regularly. We fight hard.
We know these courts, these prosecutors, and these legal issues with a depth that comes only from sustained practice. We specialize in OUI defense and criminal defense because we believe that deep expertise serves our clients better than a mile-wide general practice.
Attorney James M. Milligan, Jr. is the Managing Partner and one of only two attorneys in Massachusetts to earn board certification in OUI law from the American Bar Association. He chairs the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education statewide OUI seminar — a role he has held for 19 years — imparting deep understanding of OUI defense to attorneys across the state. With a 90% acquittal rate from over 60 OUI trials each year, his track record speaks for itself.
Attorney Joseph J. Higgins began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Plymouth County, where he prosecuted hundreds of drunk driving cases each year. After seeing the system from the inside, he joined Milligan & Higgins to use that experience on behalf of defendants. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as a Massachusetts “Rising Star” in DUI/DWI Defense — a distinction limited to only 2.5 percent of attorneys in the state — and has appeared in over 60 courts across Massachusetts defending OUI charges.
Every trial attorney at our firm is personally selected by Attorney Milligan and brings a minimum of three years as a prosecutor in the District Attorney’s Office. We know how the other side thinks because we have been there.
The Call Is Free. The Consultation Is Confidential.
If you are ready to take the next step, we are ready to help you.
We will listen to what happened. We will give you an honest assessment of your situation. We will explain your options clearly, in plain language, without jargon. And we will tell you the truth — about what we see in your case, about what is realistic, and about what fighting for the best outcome actually requires.
The situation feels enormous right now. We understand that. But enormous situations have been navigated before, and they can be navigated now.
Milligan & Higgins is a premier OUI and criminal defense firm in Massachusetts, with over forty years of collective experience. If you or a loved one is facing criminal charges, we are here to help.
Watch our firm video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx-X_9CssZo&t=2s
Contact Milligan & Higgins for a free consultation or second opinion. Please send us an email: Intake@milliganhiggins.com or call 781-878-1231.
