Practice Area
Criminal Defense
Beating the government in a criminal case is not just about fighting hard, it’s about fighting smart. In the vast majority of criminal prosecutions, the government is able to spend vast sums of money to investigate the case, interview witnesses, analyze physical evidence, and solidify weaknesses in their case. Most defendants (like most Americans in general) lack the financial resources to go toe-to-toe with the government. That is why it is imperative that a person charged with a crime must have a lawyer who is able to identify and exploit weaknesses in the government’s case. Even with nearly unlimited resources, the government rarely builds a perfect case. An experienced lawyer who thinks strategically about every case will be able to identify common mistakes that police and investigators make and exploit those mistakes for their client’s advantage. Government investigators routinely mishandle evidence, conduct illegal searches, rush to judgment, or fail to interview key witnesses. These kinds of mistakes can lead to acquittals, dismissals, or significant reductions in charges. So even if a defendant cannot outspend the government, with the help of a lawyer who is able to out-think, out-work, and outwit the government, a defendant can often prevail in court. We have extensive knowledge and experience with handling criminal defense cases of all types and an arsenal of tactics to utilize on your behalf.
The most common types of cases we handle are: Drug Offenses, Domestic Violence, Robbery, Theft, Sex Crimes, Probation Violations, Gun Charges, Assault, and Murder. We take cases in General Sessions court, Magistrate Court, Municipal Court, and Federal District Court.
Representative Cases
Acquittal for a client charged with murder in Charleston, South Carolina. The client shot and killed an intruder on the porch of his home in self-defense, but was charged with murder. After a five-day trial, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty on all charges.
Dismissal of a client's domestic violence charges in Charleston, South Carolina. The charges were made during a nasty divorce with the alleged victim and the arresting police officer completely failed to properly investigate the case. We got the judge to dismiss the charges completely at the preliminary hearing and the judge scolded the officer for his improper conduct. We later got the client’s arrest record erased.
Dismissal of a client's drug possession charge. The client was riding a bicycle in downtown Charleston when a police officer approached him, detained him and began questioning him without probable cause. The officer alleged the client threw down a bag of cocaine during questioning. We met with the prosecuting attorney and convinced him that the client was illegally detained, and thus the cocaine evidence would be thrown out at trial. The prosecutor agreed, and dismissed the charge.
Dismissal of client’s charge for public intoxication and assaulting a police officer. The client was arrested for allegedly “mouthing off” to a police officer and striking him in the face outside of a bar on King Street in downtown Charleston. After meeting with the arresting officer and explaining that the client would lose her professional license if convicted of criminal charges, we convinced the arresting officer to dismiss the charges in exchange for a sincere apology and several hours of community service. The client retained her professional license, and has a clean record.
Dismissal of client's charge for pointing a firearm at two trespassers. The trespassers were attempting to repossess the client's car, yet failed to present any paperwork authorizing the repossession and refused to leave the porperty. The client brandished a firearm in an attempt to get them to leave and was arrested. We convinced the prosecutor that the client had every right to expel the trespassers thd he agreed to dismiss the charges completely.
Dismissal of client’s public intoxication charge. The client was a tourist who had too much to drink and became separated from his group of friends. He was approached by police and was unable to give them the address of the rental property where he was staying and subsequently arrested. We met with the arresting officer to explain the situation, and the officer agreed to dismiss the charge. The arrest record was later expunged.
Dismissal of client’s assault charge. The client was arrested for assaulting his ex-girlfriend. We met with the prosecutor and showed him a string a text messages from the alleged victim to the client, showing that she was vindictive and wanted the client to go to jail. We convinced the prosecutor to dismiss the charges and got the arrest record expunged.
Probation for a client facing significant prison time. The client allegedly attacked his ex-girlfriend with a knife in front of 4 witnesses. Because of the client's significant criminal record, the prosecutor offered a plea deal of 5 years in prison. Our investigation revealed 3 of the witnesses did not view the attack at all and the 4th witness was the new boyfriend of the alleged victim, a fact he concealed from police. We advised the client to reject the offer and demand a trial. On the eve of trial, upon seeing the results of our investigation, the prosecutor recommended probation in exchange for a significantly reduced charge.
Acquittal for client charged with attacking another inmate in a federal prison. The client faced several additional years in federal prison if convicted and numerous eyewitnesses were prepared to testify the client initiated the assault. Chris and co-counsel took the case to trial and successfully convinced the jury the client was acting in self-defense.