Practice Areas

Criminal defense, start to finish.

Sara Shannon Law defends adults and juveniles charged with crimes in York and Cumberland Counties — from the first call from a detective to the final court date.

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What are you facing?

Choose the area closest to your situation. If you do not see your charge listed, call — this list is not exhaustive.

OUI & Driving Offenses

In Maine, drunk or drugged driving is charged as operating under the influence — OUI. An arrest usually starts two separate processes at once: a criminal case in court, and an administrative license suspension through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Each has its own rules and its own deadlines.

An OUI case is built on details: why the officer stopped you, how field sobriety tests were given, whether the breath or blood test was done properly, and what you were told along the way. Sara reviews each step, explains what the evidence really shows, and works to protect your license, your record, and your ability to get to work.

Matters Sara handles

OUI — alcohol or drugs
Refusing a breath or blood test
Administrative (BMV) license suspensions
Operating after suspension
Driving to endanger
Criminal speed and eluding an officer

Drug Charges

Drug cases range from a small amount found during a traffic stop to felony trafficking allegations that carry years in prison. What they share is that the outcome often turns on how the evidence was found — the stop, the search, the warrant, and the statements police say you made.

Sara looks closely at whether your rights were respected, challenges evidence that was gathered unlawfully, and pursues every option that fits your situation — including treatment-based and alternative resolutions where they are available.

Matters Sara handles

Unlawful possession of scheduled drugs
Unlawful furnishing
Unlawful trafficking
Aggravated trafficking
Prescription drug offenses
Search, seizure, and warrant challenges

Domestic Violence

A domestic violence charge changes your life before you ever see a courtroom. Bail conditions can bar you from your home and from contact with your partner or children. A conviction can affect your right to possess firearms, your employment, and custody of your kids.

These cases move fast and feelings run high. Sara helps you understand and follow your bail conditions, asks the court to change them when that is appropriate, investigates what actually happened, and makes sure your side is heard.

Matters Sara handles

Domestic violence assault
Domestic violence criminal threatening
Domestic violence terrorizing
Domestic violence reckless conduct
Violation of a protection order
Violation of conditions of release

Assault & Violent Crimes

Charges involving violence are prosecuted aggressively and often rest on conflicting accounts of a few chaotic minutes. Witnesses see things differently. Injuries get described in ways that make a charge more serious. Self-defense gets left out of the police report.

Sara gathers the evidence the State did not — witnesses, video, medical records, and context — and prepares each case as though it will be tried, because that preparation is what gives you real choices.

Matters Sara handles

Theft & Property Crimes

A theft conviction follows you. It shows up on background checks and can cost you a job, a professional license, or a housing application years later — even when the amount involved was small.

In Maine, how seriously a property crime is charged depends on things like the value involved and your prior record. Sara examines whether the State can prove what it claims, and looks for resolutions that keep a mistake from becoming a permanent mark.

Matters Sara handles

Juvenile Defense

When a child or teenager is charged, families are often told it is “just juvenile court.” It is not that simple. A juvenile case can affect school, sports, college plans, and future jobs, and some records are not automatically private.

Maine’s juvenile system is meant to focus on rehabilitation, and there are often ways to resolve a case without a formal adjudication. Sara works with young clients and their parents to find the path that protects the future.

Matters Sara handles

Juvenile petitions of all kinds
Informal adjustments and diversion
School-related incidents
Underage alcohol and marijuana offenses
Detention hearings
Sealing juvenile records

Probation & Bail Violations

If you are accused of violating probation or your bail conditions, you can be arrested and held — sometimes without the bail you would get on a new charge. The rules at these hearings are different, and the State’s burden is lower than at trial.

Sara moves quickly to get you in front of a judge, challenges the alleged violation, and presents the full picture: your work, your treatment, your family, and the progress you have made.

Matters Sara handles

Motions to revoke probation
Violation of conditions of release
Bail hearings and bail reviews
Amending bail conditions
Deferred disposition violations
Warrants and failures to appear

Investigations & Pre-Charge Advice

Sometimes the most important time to call a lawyer is before you are charged with anything. If an officer or detective wants to “get your side of the story,” if your home or phone has been searched, or if you have received a summons, you are already part of an investigation.

Sara can speak with investigators on your behalf, advise you on whether and how to respond, and help you avoid the mistakes that turn an inquiry into a charge.

Matters Sara handles

Requests to come in for an interview
Search warrants
Summonses and grand jury subpoenas
Phone and social media evidence
Turning yourself in on a warrant
Protecting your rights before charges

Talk With Sara

Not sure where your case fits? Ask.

The sooner a defense attorney is involved, the more options you usually have. Reach out today for a confidential consultation.