What I do

State charges. Felonies and misdemeanors in the common pleas and municipal courts of Montgomery, and the surrounding counties. I started in the Public Defender's office, so I know how these cases get built and where they tend to come apart: a traffic stop that ran too long, a search without a warrant, a statement taken without a proper warning. Those are the first things I look for.

Federal charges. Felony cases in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, most often drug and firearms charges, from the detention hearing through sentencing. Federal court has its own rules and moves at a different pace. Sentencing is usually where the case is decided. If you've received a target letter or an agent has contacted you, call before you answer anything.

Appeals and post-conviction. Direct appeals in the Second District and Ohio's other courts of appeals, and other post-conviction work. Appellate work is reading a record everyone else has already read and finding what they missed. In Ohio, the notice of appeal is generally due within thirty days of the judgment entry. Miss that window and the appeal is usually gone. Call early.

I also handle most matters collateral to criminal defense.