Violent Crime & Sex Offense Defense in Kentucky

These are the cases that define a trial lawyer. When you're accused of murder, assault, rape, or sexual abuse, you're facing years — sometimes life — in prison, and a stigma that starts the day you're arrested. You need someone who has actually stood in front of a jury in cases like yours and won.

I have. I've tried murder cases to juries, and neither trial resulted in a guilty verdict. I've had sex offenses dropped. I've won not-guilty verdicts on numerous serious charges. I take these cases because this is what I do best: deep investigation, relentless preparation, and trying the case when the state won't offer justice.

Charges I defend

• Homicide — murder, manslaughter, and reckless homicide
• Assault — all degrees, including assault with a deadly weapon
• Sex offenses — rape, sexual abuse, sodomy, and related charges
• Other serious felonies — robbery, burglary, kidnapping, and weapons offenses

I represent clients throughout the Commonwealth, with most of my work in the Owensboro, Bowling Green, and Madisonville areas — from McCracken County to Harlan County.

Why serious cases demand a trial lawyer, not a plea lawyer

In high-stakes cases, the prosecution's greatest advantage is a defense lawyer who's afraid of trial. Prosecutors know which lawyers will fold — and they price their plea offers accordingly.

My approach is different:

• Investigate independently. I don't rely on the police report. I track down witnesses the state didn't interview, examine physical evidence myself, and find the facts law enforcement missed or buried.
• Challenge the state's evidence early. Illegal searches, coerced statements, unreliable identifications, junk forensic science — I file the motions that shrink the prosecution's case before trial.
• Prepare every case for a jury. When the Commonwealth knows you're ready, willing, and able to try the case, everything changes — including the offers.

Most of the time, my preparation wins. Sometimes cases go to trial. Either way, my clients get a lawyer who actually wants to win, and will spend the time and effort it takes.

If you've been accused — read this first

1. Do not talk to police. Not to explain. Not to "tell your side." Detectives investigating violent crimes and sex offenses are building a case against you from the first question. Anything you say will be used.
2. Do not contact the alleged victim or witnesses. Even a well-meaning message can become a new charge or devastating evidence.
3. Preserve everything — messages, photos, locations, names of people who were with you. Evidence disappears; your memory of where it is shouldn't.
4. Call now, not later. In serious cases, the first 48 hours shape the entire investigation. A lawyer involved early can sometimes stop a charge from ever being filed.

Frequently asked questions

I've been arrested for assault but it was self-defense. Does that matter?

Enormously — Kentucky law protects your right to defend yourself. But self-defense doesn't assert itself; it has to be investigated, documented, and presented. Witnesses, injuries, 911 calls, and the physical scene all matter, and they all fade with time.

What happens if I'm accused of a sex offense?

Expect an aggressive investigation and enormous pressure to talk. Say nothing. Sex offense cases often come down to credibility — one person's word against another's — which means the investigation your lawyer conducts matters more than almost anything else. I've had these charges dropped before trial.

Will my case go to trial?

Maybe. I prepare every serious case as if it will, because that's how you get the best outcome — whether that's a dismissal, an acquittal, or a plea you can live with. The decision to try a case is always yours; my job is to make sure it's a choice, not a surrender.

Can you get my bond reduced so I can get out of jail?

That's often the first fight, and I take it seriously. A client who is out of jail can help build their defense, keep their job, and show the court they're stable. I'll attack the bond at the earliest opportunity.

Facing the most serious charges Kentucky has? Get the lawyer prosecutors don't want to see.

Call 270-338-0816 now — day or night. If you or a loved one is in jail, I'll move immediately on bond. Everything you tell me is confidential.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.