Michelle Pavlica, Criminal Lawyer
Michelle brings a diverse academic background to Dribbin & Brown Criminal Lawyers, completing a Bachelor of Science before discovering her passion for criminal law and pursuing a Bachelor of Laws.
With experience working with Victoria Legal Aid and her local Community Legal Service, Michelle is passionate about fair and equitable access to justice, and she understands the profound and lasting implications for those without adequate representation and those who receive an unfavourable outcome in Court.
Michelle is committed to her duty to her clients and examines every opportunity to achieve exceptional outcomes. She has represented clients in many criminal law matters, including careless and dangerous driving, driving under the influence, criminal property damage and intervention order breaches.
Michelle regularly appears at the Ringwood Magistrates Court, representing her clients with compassion and aptitude in guilty pleas, bail applications, contest mentions and intervention order matters.
Michelle’s recent case outcomes:
1. Diversion for driving offence charges
Michelle represented our client charged with careless driving and failing to give name and address at the scene of an accident. The adverse consequences of the charges on our client, if they were to receive a criminal record, was a key concern.
Michelle arranged an abridgement of charges to minimise the stress of the process for our client, bringing the case almost 3 months earlier. Following summary case conferencing, the careless driving charge was amended to reversing while unsafe (not a demerit point offence). Michelle managed to secure a same-day diversion and avoided a criminal record and a demerit point loss.
2. Minimum licence disqualification period for drug driving
Our client, with a history of driving offences, was charged with drug driving. Due to a history of offending and the risk of escalating sentencing and likely conviction, our client’s key concern was mandatory licence disqualification and losing their employment.
Representing our client in Court, Michelle secured the minimum licence disqualification period and a $200 fine without conviction despite previous driving convictions.
3. Minimal licence suspension period and no conviction for serious driving charges
Michelle represented a client charged with drink driving, driving carelessly and driving dangerously. Our client’s BAC was very high, and an accident caused significant damage to the vehicles involved.
Our client also had relevant priors for drink driving within 10 years, and was concerned about losing their licence for longer than the prescribed minimum. They also lost their job and were worried about a criminal record.
Following summary case conferencing, Michelle successfully negotiated the withdrawal of dangerous driving charges on the basis that careless driving was a more appropriate charge in the circumstances. The client received a mild sentence with the minimum licence disqualification period and a small fine ($500) without conviction.
4. Withdrawal of criminal property damage charges
Michelle represented a client charged with criminal property damage valued at $2000. The client had no criminal history and was concerned about the implications of a criminal record on their employment prospects. Michelle identified that the client’s identity was at issue in the prosecution case, and the prosecution agreed to withdraw the charges following summary case conferencing.
5. Personal safety intervention order breaches proven and dismissed
Michelle represented a client charged with 2 counts of breaching a personal safety intervention order. Our client had no priors and was concerned about the adverse implications of a criminal record.
Following summary case conferencing, the prosecution was unwilling to withdraw the charges nor support a diversion plan. Michelle prepared a guilty plea and, following submissions, the Court found the matter proven and dismissed without conviction or further penalty.
Reviews from Google about Michelle at our Geelong office
Michelle was nothing short of amazing getting the best possible outcome for me. I will be forever grateful
