CRIMINAL LAW · POLICE CUSTODY & DEFENCE

English-Speaking Criminal Lawyers in Lyon

Law that rises to your ambitions.

Whatever the offence, whatever your position — victim or suspect — we stand at your side, from police custody through to sentence enforcement.

Your first consultation, refunded*
+33 9 83 68 80 80 (standard rate)
* The first consultation costs a flat €69 excl. VAT (€82.80 incl. VAT). If you then entrust your case to MUSE, it is automatically credited against your first invoice. For a one-off consultation, you receive clear oral advice and/or a written summary, depending on how we meet.
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The collective in criminal law

A collective of independent criminal lawyers in Lyon

We are a collective of independent lawyers, skilled across many fields and united around a fully independent online platform. You get the expertise you are looking for, real-time follow-up of your case, and direct contact with your lawyer — no intermediaries.

Independence Expertise Confidentiality
24 hrs
initial length of police custody, extendable to 48
1st hour
your right to a lawyer applies from the very first hour
6 years
limitation period for most offences (20 years for serious crimes)
What we handle

From police custody to sentence enforcement

Defence & representation

Police custody, interviews, alternative measures and hearings before every court: police court, criminal court, juvenile court, Cour d'assises.

Sentence enforcement

Detention, day release, electronic tagging, parole, sentence adjustment before the enforcement judge.

White-collar crime

Fraud, breach of trust, misuse of company assets, criminal bankruptcy, tax fraud, undeclared work: prevention and defence through audits.

General criminal law

Offences against persons and property, theft, drugs, forgery, terrorism: classification and strategy for every type of offence.

At every stage of criminal proceedings

Defence & representation in court

The collective's lawyers defend you at every stage, whether you are the victim of an offence or the suspect. From police custody — the French garde à vue — when suspicion falls, we advise and assist you through interviews and questioning.

We then stand with you through alternative measures and prosecution alike, at every hearing before the courts — police court, juvenile court, criminal court (Tribunal correctionnel), and the Cour d'assises for the most serious crimes.

Criminal proceedings, step by step
01Police custody & interviews
02Investigation & judicial inquiry
03Trial hearing
04Sentence enforcement
The collective's advice

Taken into police custody, one reflex: demand a lawyer from the first hour, and stay silent until they arrive. Your very first statements will weigh on the entire case.

The judgment is only the first step

Prison law & sentence enforcement

Serving a sentence, above all in custody (prison, day release, electronic tagging), demands constant follow-up with the prison authorities, so that the detainee's rights are respected. Your lawyer is your voice before the sentence enforcement judge.

Even outside prison walls (parole, suspended sentence with probation, or no custodial measure at all), serving a sentence properly means constantly adjusting it to your personal situation — which takes regular follow-up. Your lawyer's assistance does not stop at the judgment: we stay with you until the case is closed.

Prevent rather than endure

White-collar crime

The breadth of skills across MUSE's lawyers guarantees a precise picture of your white-collar exposure: fraud, theft, breach of trust, misuse of company assets, tax fraud, criminal bankruptcy, and more.

Running a company grows ever more regulated, while the range of sanctions widens: sound advice is essential to prevent offences before they happen. Our lawyers run precise audits to anticipate those risks — undeclared work, criminal bankruptcy, breach of trust, misuse of company assets, tax fraud.

The collective's advice

A director, with an inspection or complaint aimed at your company? A preventive criminal audit, run calmly, always beats a defence improvised in the urgency of a summons.

Classify the facts, build the strategy

General criminal law

We determine precisely whether you are the perpetrator or the victim of facts that may carry a criminal classification, for every type of offence: offences against persons, drug trafficking, theft, terrorism, forgery… The classification chosen dictates the court, the sentence faced and the defence strategy: it is your lawyer's first task, and the most decisive.

Frequently asked questions

Your French criminal law questions

I've been taken into police custody in France — what are my rights?
You have the right to a lawyer from the very start of the measure, to be told what offence you are suspected of, to remain silent, to have a relative and your employer informed, and to be examined by a doctor. Your lawyer can speak with you confidentially and sit in on your interviews. Our advice: have them called immediately, and say nothing on the substance before you have seen them.
How long can French police custody last?
In principle 24 hours, renewable once (48 hours in total) with a magistrate's authorisation. For certain offences (organised crime, drug trafficking, terrorism), it can be extended to 96 hours — or more in exceptional cases. Every extension and every step must follow strict formalities, and checking them can reveal irregularities valuable to the defence.
I'm summoned for a "voluntary interview" — should I bring a lawyer?
The voluntary interview (audition libre) concerns a person under suspicion but not in custody: you are free to leave at any time, and you have the right to a lawyer. Never underestimate this summons: everything said is recorded and can found a prosecution. Prepare the interview with your lawyer — or better, have them at your side.
What is "immediate trial", and how do you prepare for it?
Immediate trial (comparution immédiate) is a fast-track procedure by which the prosecutor has a person tried the same day, or shortly after being brought before the court, for intermediate offences. The stakes are high and preparation time very short. You can ask for an adjournment to prepare your defence — often a decisive move. A lawyer present at once, with access to the file and arguing on the sentence and its adjustment, radically changes the outcome.
I've received a summons before the French criminal court — what should I do?
React without delay: the summons states a hearing date and the offence prosecuted. Send it to your lawyer, who will request access to the file, identify possible procedural defects, gather exculpatory evidence and prepare the pleading — on guilt and, where relevant, on the sentence. Never appear without a prepared defence.
As a victim, how do I file a complaint and claim compensation?
You can file a complaint at a police station, a gendarmerie, or by letter to the public prosecutor. If the complaint is shelved or goes unanswered, a complaint with civil-party petition before the investigating judge, or a direct summons, can set the prosecution in motion. Becoming a civil party gives you access to the file and lets you claim compensation for your loss. We help you build a solid file and quantify that loss.
How can a conviction be removed from my French criminal record?
Some convictions are erased automatically after a period, or at majority for minors. Beyond that, you can apply, under conditions, to have an entry excluded from bulletin no. 2 or seek judicial rehabilitation, which erases the conviction and its disqualifications. The stakes are often professional — access to a job or a licence. We assess your eligibility and draft the application to the competent court.
As a company director, what is white-collar criminal risk?
It is the exposure of the director and the company to prosecution for management-related offences: misuse of company assets, criminal bankruptcy, tax fraud, undeclared work, fraud, safety failings. Sanctions can be heavy — fines, disqualification from management, imprisonment. A preventive audit maps the risk areas and installs the right documentary reflexes: the best defence, because the earliest.

Police custody, a summons, a complaint?

Our lawyers reply promptly — and in English.

+33 9 83 68 80 80
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