Our philosophy of criminal defense is simple but vitally important, we CHALLENGE the government’s case at every stage of the process.  By aggressively challenging every aspect of a criminal charge, we work toward achieving the best result that can be obtained for our clients.  Often that best result is a negotiated plea agreement, but a criminal lawyer must be willing and able to TRY YOUR CASE to jury verdict if necessary to vindicate your rights. 

The UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION is the foremost authority in defending the rights of persons accused of crime.  Too often, accused persons waive these most important rights guaranteed by our FOUNDING FATHERS.

When a person is accused or suspected of a crime, the tremendous resources of the State are brought to bear upon him or her.  The State has a variety of police agencies, a designated Prosecuting Attorney and forensic experts at its disposal.  What does the suspect have?

The suspect has only the rights guaranteed by our Constitution.

Americans have died on the battlefield to protect our rights against SELF INCRIMINATION and UNREASONABLE SEARCH AND SEIZURE. They have preserved our RIGHT TO COUNSEL and RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL. Still, many citizens sacrifice these constitutional rights without knowing the consequences. Honor our heroes by exercising your CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.

If you believe that you are the subject of a criminal investigation or have been accused or charged with a crime, DO NOT MAKE ANY STATEMENTS TO POLICE AND DO NOT CONSENT TO ANY SEARCH OF YOUR PERSON, HOME OR VEHICLE.  Although police will often tell suspects that “if you have nothing to hide, you should just cooperate,” this is simply not true.  You should unequivocally assert your constitutional rights by saying only “I WANT A LAWYER” when subjected to questioning and saying “I DO NOT CONSENT, I WANT A LAWYER” when being requested for consent to search your property. 

By exercising your constitutional rights, you have laid a foundation for a successful defense.  THE ANSWER IS “NO” EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE. Our firm does not routinely handle court appointed cases, thus allowing us to focus on the limited number of criminal cases for which we are retained.  We have handled a broad range of criminal matters, from traffic tickets to murder, and may be retained for representation in misdemeanor and felony criminal matters before the courts of the State of West Virginia.