Here you can talk to the lawyer personally
Welcome
Since 1998 worked exclusively as a criminal defence lawyer for my clients
- experienced
- fast
- reliable
- successful
Law Office
Altendorfer Str. 313, 45143 Essen
Fax. +49 201 86 28 41 18
The job of the criminal defense attorney is
to give trust where everyone refuses; to develop compassion where feelings have died; to sow doubts where no one has them anymore;
and to plant hope where it had long since evaporated.

Uncomplicated and fast
Also in the emergency service, arrests and home searches and searches in business premises

Many years of experience
I have been representing detainees and clients at large since 1998. I have been a lawyer in Essen for 25 years and since 2001 I have been a specialized solicitor for criminal law.

Multilingual and transparent
Consultation also available in German, Polish, Romanian or Spanish. I advice detailed, always transparent and, above all, realistic information on prospects of success, risks and costs.
Criminal law
I represent your interests in criminal law by way of example in…
- Legal representation in preliminary proceedings
- Representation in detention cases (e.g. oral detention review, detention complaint)
- Search of private or business property
- Arrests
- Hearing with the public prosecutor’s office to avoid legal proceedings
- Legal representation in preliminary proceedings
- Representation in criminal cases
- Ancillary action and representation of injured parties
- Support of witness
- Appeal and revision letter
- Deferrals according to § 35 Narcotics Act (Therapy instead of punishment)
- Waiver of execution of sentences for deportation
- Complaints against probation revocations
In particular, the following allegations…
- Offences against sexual self-determination
- physical injury, including resistance to police officers
- Violation of the Narcotics Act, e.g. import and trade
- Crimes committed by gangs
- Property crimes, in particular theft, robbery, embezzlement and fraud
- False testimony
- Money laundering
- Insult
- Juvenile penal law
- Capital crimes
- Road traffic offences, e.g. hit-and-run, drunk driving, endangering road traffic
- Forgery of documents (e.g. vaccination certificates)

If the worst comes to the worst
Tips for arrest and search
Make use of your right to remain silent.
Memorize your lawyer’s number beforehand. The mobile phone is the first thing that is taken away from you.
Never defend yourself physically. Even tearing it away can be seen as resistance to law enforcement officers.
Insist on calling the defense lawyer of your choice.
Let them know that you will only provide information if your lawyer is present. Then they will wait for your lawyer.
Contradict to searches and seizures.

About me
Professional career
- Since September 1998 lawyer in Essen
- since 2001 specialized solicitor for criminal law
- until 2013 shared office with lawyer and specialized solicitor for criminal law Wolfgang Zeitler, Essen
- then shared office with lawyer and specialized solicitor for criminal law Baris Gültekin, Essen
- since November 2020 office community with lawyers Eva and Victor Berger, Essen
Philosophy
Criminal defense is characterized by the fact that you think things through beforehand and discuss them with the client with all the ramifications. I take this time, because there is nothing worse than an uninformed and unprepared client in criminal proceedings.
This requires legal experience from the courtroom and a humane and direct contact with his clients.
From the initial contact to the successful conclusion of the proceedings, you speak exclusively with me. My defence is based on this; a genuine relationship of trust between lawyer and client. I reflect this empathy in my pleadings and applications to the court.
Fee
Gain trust
My service costs money.
Of course you want to know how much.
Ask yourself beforehand, what use am I to you.
Read here: FAQ/Useful and judge for yourself how many tips and information you have already received from me.
There are the following possibilities to settle accounts as a criminal defence lawyer:
Electoral defender
I can be hired as an election lawyer if you pay me exclusively privately. How high this fee can be depends individually on the case and can be provisionally estimated in a first interview.
Public defender
I also take over compulsory defences, but always with private co-payment in the same amount as the public defender’s fees.
Electoral defender details
In principle, there are flat fees or the agreement of an hourly rate.Roughly speaking, you can expect an hourly rate of 300.00 EURO gross or a flat fee of at least 1.500.00 EUR gross.
That sounds like a lot, but – according to settled case law of the higher courts – it is in the lower half of the permissible range of an hourly rate of EUR 180.00 gross to EUR 600.00 grosso for lawyers.
This is despite the fact that I have been working exclusively in the field of criminal law for 25 years and also bear the title of specialist lawyer for criminal law and, as you will quickly notice and appreciate, I am a permanent direct contact person.
Read my customer reviews and you will get a good impression of my client-friendly work.
Public defender details
The possibility of mandatory defence exists only in certain cases regulated by law:
For example, § 140 StPO determines the need for a public defender in the event of a crime or a threat of punishment of one year or more.
In this case, the court may appoint any lawyer of your choice as public defender.
The public defender first settles accounts directly with the state. The amount of these defence lawyer fees is regulated in the Lawyers’ Remuneration Act, RVG.
If convicted, the state may recover these costs of defence from the convicted person.

FAQ / Useful
Antworten zu häufigen Fragen rund um das Strafrecht
Do I need a criminal defence lawyer?
How do I find a good criminal defence lawyer?
Does the defence lawyer always have to argue? (… for being a good lawyer… )
What should I do until I have spoken to a defence lawyer?
When should I call in the defence lawyer?
What does “testimony against testimony” really mean?
What will the defence lawyer do for me?
Can I not save the fee for the defence lawyer?
Is there also a public defender on my side?
Do I need a criminal defence lawyer?

Definitely: yes!
As an accused, you are dealing with police, prosecutors and judges who have been involved in criminal proceedings for years. When it comes to your money or freedom, wouldn’t you also take an experienced player on the pitch instead of almost certainly losing alone?
This also applies if you have committed the acts and want to make a confession. A defence counsel can first check the situation; are there possibly justifications or are there other defence approaches? You should also not ignore the identification of reasons for mitigating your sentence in order to reduce your sentence.
And the criminal judge’s popular phrase about the denying defendant is usually: “You can say what you want here, but we don’t have to believe everything.”
Do you want to sit alone in the courtroom in this mood?
You see, you should not defend yourself!
How do I find a good criminal defence lawyer?

In a figurative sense: “By not having your broken shoes repaired at the baker”
So, first of all, look for a lawyer who specializes in criminal law. In most cases, these are specialist lawyers for criminal law. But what good is it for you if this specialist is also a specialist in tenancy law, labour law, family law and social law?
Even after almost 25 years of working exclusively as a criminal defence lawyer, I could not say that I have finished learning. That’s why I say: So much, you can’t do “well”. That’s why you don’t go to the lawyer with a criminal case who recently pushed through your divorce so nicely. Because it is about your freedom and in the case of a fine sometimes about a considerable sum.
If you are still looking for a good criminal defence lawyer, give me a call. Direct contact . My big advantage is my accessibility. What good is it to you if you only talk to the paralegal of the good criminal defence lawyer for 14 days, but do not receive an appointment. An ongoing criminal case can be enormously burdensome, the inexperienced client usually has many questions. These must be answered!
Does the defence lawyer always have to argue? (… for being a good lawyer… )

“The winner will be the one who knows when to fight and when not to fight.” – Sunzi
Therefore, the often-read objection that the silent lawyer in the main trial is no good, is not always correct. If – and my clients are – the client is informed beforehand, he knows that the good criminal defence lawyer will only intervene if things are going bad for him. If I am calm in a negotiation, it looks good.
Strategic skill and overview – thinking outside the box and anticipating the steps of the judiciary as a reaction – this is the work of a good criminal defence lawyer! Like a good chess player. But that’s why years of experience are so immensely important.
The application of legal norms is only a small part of the activity.
Years ago, I defended a repeated bank robber (the client has since died; the judges are off duty). He was arrested red-handed. After a few months of pre-trial detention, the trial was due. Despite the existence of the prerequisites for preventive detention, the court had not commissioned an expert opinion.
To explain: If preventive detention is ordered, an indefinite detention of the offender is ordered after the actual sentence by judgment solely on the basis of his dangerousness. It is regulated by law in §§ 66 et seq. of the Criminal Code.
Therefore, it was clear that we would go through the main negotiation quietly and quickly. Witnesses were not summoned on my initiative, the client has fully admitted the accusation as correct. I had said only one sentence until one minute before the closing of the evidence: namely a “Good morning”.
Then, … the remark of the assessors that the conditions for preventive detention would be met!
I think the presiding judge can still remember how upset I was, indignantly taking off my robe and throwing it on the table; talking about inhuman treatment and legality after almost 6 months of pre-trial detention one minute before the closing of the evidence to threaten preventive detention.
The chamber disappeared for half an hour for deliberation and the trial was closed. Of course, there was more punishment – but no preventive detention!
The client understood this, he was prepared.
What should I do until I have spoken to a defence lawyer?

Until I spoke to my lawyer: Silence, so “shut up”!
The accused has the right to remain silent. At any stage of the criminal proceedings. As long as you have not hired a defence lawyer and he has been given access to the file, do not provide any information about the person or the matter on your own.
Defendants have already been convicted because you prematurely declared when the arrest warrant was issued: “I am the person named in the arrest warrant”.
There are also numerous convictions because the accused (who were previously known only through telecommunications surveillance) have raised their voices with the police or magistrates.
An accomplice of a client was convicted of asking the harmless question: “Is that your jeans?” answered in the affirmative. In the main hearing, a textile expert opinion was carried out to compare the pleat properties of his jeans with those on surveillance photos of a bank robbery. He was convicted.
When should I call in the defence lawyer?

Answer: Yesterday
As early as possible, i.e., if you expect criminal proceedings against you. Without having to be heard first, a search or even an arrest may be imminent.
At the latest, however, when you have received a hearing sheet from the police or even more so when an indictment has been served.
What does “testimony against testimony” really mean?

Mostly: Nothing!
Unfortunately, no joke: All too often occurring situation that the accused is only incriminated by a witness does not automatically lead to the desired result: testimony against testimony with the consequence of acquittal for the accused.
But why not?
Answer: This is due to the court’s free assessment of evidence.
The criminal judge is free in his assessment of evidence, or as § 261 StPO formulates: The court decides on the result of the taking of evidence “according to its free conviction, drawn from the epitome of the trial.”
Only if the judge is not convinced of the testimony of the incriminating witness, then the situation of testimony against testimony arises and the accused must be acquitted.
In my experience, however, in 90% of all cases the judges have no doubt as to the veracity of the testimony of witnesses and condemn on the basis of these statements, unless the defence counsel can shake the testimony by questioning.
What will the defence lawyer do for me?

First and foremost: inspect files
The accused can make use of the assistance of a defence lawyer at any stage of the proceedings and only the defence lawyer has the right to inspect the files – i.e. the collection of evidence that the judiciary believes it has against you in its hands. Without access to files, they face the judicial front without knowledge of the facts.
Only through knowledge of the files you and your defence lawyer are on an equal footing with the law enforcement authorities!
The defence lawyer is without exception exclusively in your interests and strictly bound to secrecy. In addition, as an organ of the administration of justice for the defence lawyer: “I never lie, but I do not have to say everything I know”.
Can I not save the fee for the defence lawyer?

Long-termthinking: No!
As already mentioned above, the defence lawyer can work out the best strategy for you by knowing the contents of the file and reduce statements of witnesses to the truth.
He can advise you and support you. And achieve the best for you as a good lawyer. In pre-trial detention cases, representation by the drastic criterion of the “lack of freedom” of the accused is so enormously important that by law a public defender must also be assigned by the court.
If the defence lawyer now achieves for you that instead of a prison sentence a suspended sentence is sentenced, this means a benefit of lifetime for you. In what is the long-term relationship between an appropriate lawyer’s fee and the loss of salary during such a – sometimes long-term – prison stay?
Therefore, it is absolutely justified as a public defender with years of experience to demand a so-called “co-payment” in addition to the remuneration by the state.
Read more at: My Fee
Is there also a public defender on my side?

It certainly should be!
To explain: The public defender – also the defence lawyer of your choice (!) – is the defence lawyer who is appointed by court order.
The court decides to the appointment the lawyer as public defender if you and the lawyer request this and the legal requirements for a mandatory defence come into consideration.
Advantage: First, the public defender can settle accounts with the state treasury.
Disadvantage: The public defender can no longer be easily replaced by another lawyer. In this case, the court must be involved in the resignation of the mandate!
If you don’t care, then the court will “force some lawyer on your eye”. This doesn’t have to be a bad lawyer; Whytake the risk if it only requires a brief contact with a defence lawyer? Therefore: Call now!
Another tip – In the case of arrests, attach importance to the formulation at the magistrate:
“May the lawyer be assigned to me only for today.”
In the arrest situation, a lawyer thus represents you. Then find a lawyer of your choice for the rest.