English-speaking criminal defense lawyer in Poland

Cases I handle

• arrest and pre-trial detention (tymczasowe aresztowanie), including bail and passport measures
• property offences: theft, fraud, misappropriation
• drug offences
• road traffic offences, including driving under the influence and accidents
• economic and fiscal offences
• domestic violence cases
• petty offences (wykroczenia)
• representation of victims of crime

Arrested in Poland: your basic rights

• You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions, without giving a reason.
• You have the right to contact a lawyer promptly.
• If you don't speak Polish well enough, you have the right to a free interpreter and to translations of key documents.
• You can ask for your country's consulate to be informed.
• You must be brought before a court within 48 hours of arrest, and the court then has 24 hours to decide on pre-trial detention. Otherwise you must be released.
• You can appeal against the arrest to a court.

A family member or friend can appoint a defense lawyer for you until you do so yourself.

Issues specific to foreign nationals

For people without a permanent address in Poland, the risk of leaving the country is often raised when the prosecutor applies for pre-trial detention. Alternatives such as bail (poręczenie majątkowe), police supervision or a ban on leaving Poland combined with holding the passport can be argued for, and documents showing ties to Poland can be relevant.

Many cases end with an agreed penalty. It is still a criminal conviction, and for foreigners it can affect residence permits, travel or employment, so these consequences are worth assessing before agreeing to anything.

How the defense works

1. 1.Case review: the charges and available evidence, and the possible scenarios, explained in English.
2. 2.Investigation stage: attending interviews, filing evidence requests, appealing against detention and other preventive measures.
3. 3.Trial: preparing the defense, attending hearings, examining witnesses, closing speech.
4. 4.Appeal: reviewing the judgment and the grounds for appealing it.

Where I act

My office is in Opole (Wiejska 77B), and I represent clients before the District Court (Sąd Rejonowy) and Regional Court (Sąd Okręgowy) in Opole, prosecutors in the Opolskie region, and courts in other parts of Poland.

Frequently asked questions