Hampden County Court System

Hampden County is a county where you don't want to go to court without a lawyer if you're in the middle of a criminal investigation, if you're about to be charged, or if you've already been arrested and are facing your criminal arraignment.

The District Attorney in Hampden County is William M. Bennett.  His office is in charge of prosecuting all criminal charges, and their tough-on-crime reputation is bringing the county statewide recognition.  Hampden County's stance on crime is infused into every level of the county's law enforcement, down to the arresting officer and the jurors who hand out the sentences.

It doesn't matter which court your case is in - Springfield District Court, Holyoke District Court, Chicopee District Court, Westfield District Court, Palmer District Court, or even the Hampden Superior Court - it is important to find a lawyer who is familiar with your type of case, and who has experience on how that case will be handled in Hampden County.  To learn more about each of the courthouses in Hampden County, go here.

Call a Hampden County Criminal Law Attorney when you need one -
Don't Wait for Daylight or Until Monday Morning!

The criminal defense attorneys from our firm work around the clock.  That means that you can contact us at any time of the day or night, seven days a week.  From our office in downtown Springfield, we can reach anywhere we service in Western Massachusetts in under an hour by car, which makes it easy for us to access witnesses, discover documents, and review both crime and accident scenes personally.

Going to Court Alone is
The Biggest Mistake You Can Make

Sometimes people charged with a crime in Springfield will try to defend themselves because they think they can handle the case on their own and do not want to spend money on a lawyer.  That's a big mistake.  Given that he courtroom is a venue of criminal laws and procedures, unless you have gone to law school and have practiced criminal law extensively, you will not know your way through the maze of Hampden County criminal proceedings.

Even Public Defenders are overworked and handle a high volume of cases at a time.  On any given morning, their case load can easily be up to 15 cases on a given morning.  You would be just one of those 15 people, and as a result, you may be left feeling that your case is not receiving the full attention it deserves.

What Penalties am I Facing Under Massachusetts Law?

The penalties under criminal laws - in Hampden County or anywhere in Massachusetts - vary considerably depending on the exact crime you are charged with.  Issues tend to revolve around whether the crime is a misdemeanor or felony, whether you have prior offenses, and the specific facts relating to the time of the alleged offense. 

For a free case evaluation, call (800) 461-6900.  Messages are sent directly to our attorneys' Blackberries, with the goal of returning each phone call within 10 minutes.

Probation is one of the most common punishments for misdemeanor criminal offenses in Hampden County, and when you are sentenced to probation, you will be assigned a probation officer.  You will be required to meet with the probation officer on certain dates (sometimes as often as every other day), and the conditions of your probation could include mandatory drug testing, searches of your home, counseling, and scores of other possible conditions.

When it comes to drug cases, the Chicopee District Court runs First Choice, a court-referred treatment and recovery program according to Chief Probation Officer Michael Placzek.  Issues such as the addiction recovery process, constructive decision-making, life coping skills and personal accountability for one's choices are part of the curriculum. More than 500 offenders have graduated from the eight-week program since the program was first established ten years ago.

Though the bulk of our criminal defense practice is devoted to defending local Springfield and Hampden County residents, we also represent students from American International College, Bay Path College, Elms College, Holyoke Community College, Springfield College, Springfield Technical Community College, Western New England College, and Westfield State College with college crimes and other matters for which they seek zealous defense.

For a case evaluation, call (800) 461-6900 or contact us online .  When you meet with us for the first time, be prepared to provide our criminal defense attorneys as much information as possible pertaining to your arrest.  This includes the police report (if you can get it), any records of prior arrests or convictions, dates and times of future appearances, charging documents and bail papers.