Top best Criminal Defense Lawyers Near me in ZIP 29403

Kelley Young grew up in the Lowcountry an after graduating magna cum laude from law school, she immediately moved back to the area because of her passion to help those in her community. During law school, Kelley clerked for the United States Attorney's Office as well as for two judges in the criminal arena. She also successfully argued cases as a Certified Legal Intern for the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division. Kelley practiced as an Assistant Solicitor in Charleston for several years, where she was selected to focus primarily on litigating violent crimes and larger narcotics cases towards the end of her prosecution career.. Kelley left the prosecutor's office when she was appointed by the Governor of South Carolina to become a Magistrate Judge for Charleston County. As a Magistrate Judge, Kelley gained invaluable experience by holding bond hearings, preliminary hearings, traffic court as well as eviction hearings for all of Charleston County. Because of her passion to fight for others in the Lowcountry where she grew up, Kelley resigned as a Magistrate Judge to join Adam Young in private practice.. Kelley’s diverse trial experience as a prosecutor and her time as a Magistrate Judge has led her to fully understand the inner workings of all stages in the criminal justice system-including how to assess the weaknesses of each criminal case during preliminary hearings or pre-indictment stages, negotiate bonds and plea agreements between attorneys and judges, and zealously protect and defend the rights of her clients. When she is not working for her personal injury or criminal defense clients, Kelley prosecutes cases for the City of Folly Beach. Kelley's litigation background and unique experience as a local Judge make her a strong advocate for all of her clients.

Guy J. Vitetta has been a practicing trial lawyer since 1991 and has practiced exclusively family and divorce law in Charleston since 2002.   He has earned a reputation for excellence in Family law representation and continues to hold an AV® Peer Rating*, the highest given by Martindale–Hubbell, which was awarded in 2005. This award is given to an attorney by his/her colleagues to honor their high regard for his or her professional and ethical skills.. Guy has represented hundreds of clients in all types of Family Law matters, including:. Eleven years as a public defender made Guy an effective and decisive litigator.  His trial and litigation skills are critical to the evaluation of and strategic planning in any legal case and when a Family Law case goes to trial, Guy employs all of those skills.. But a majority of cases involving families are settled before going to trial.  To conduct the process most appropriate to a client’s particular situation, Guy draws on extensive experience with all available tools, including:. Upon seeing the reality of domestic relations law, Guy saw room for improvement in how family disputes were handled in South Carolina. He sought alternatives and in 2003 became the first attorney in South Carolina trained in Collaborative Law. He is a founding member and past president of the South Carolina Collaborative Law Institute.  He is also a Certified Family Court Mediator in South Carolina and co-founded the Mediation and Meeting Center of Charleston.  Guy is seen as a leader in Family Law and has mentored many new lawyers.  Guy currently serves on the Practice and Procedures Committee of the South Carolina Bar.. Another example of Guy’s leadership is his dedicated effort to improve the options for managing the financial aspects of Family Law matters.  In early 2016, Guy and colleague Sean Keefer, released an innovative software program, called , for Judges and attorneys in South Carolina to assist in the organization and secure management of client financial data.  Settlyd improves greatly the collection, calculation, and secure storage of the complex financial data, which are central to all family legal matters.. Originally from Philadelphia, PA, Guy graduated from Ohio’s Kenyon College with a B.A. in history and religion. As a community activist addressing consumer and environmental issues, Guy decided his most influential avenue for making a difference in the community was in the practice of law.  He graduated from Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio in 1991.  He worked on appeals for Death Row inmates while clerking in the Death Penalty Section of the Ohio Public Defender Commission during Law School. He then served as a Public Defender in Columbus, Ohio for two years and then in Charleston County, South Carolina for nine years before opening his private practice in Charleston, South Carolina.

Dyllan Rankin focuses on serious personal injury litigation and criminal defense. He is a former adjunct professor of legal research and writing at the Charleston School of Law, where he also served on the alumni board.  He currently serves on the board of trustees for the Charleston County Public Library and the Father to Father Program through the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families. Dyllan is a graduate of the SC Bar Leadership Academy, and in 2017 and 2018, he was selected to the Super Lawyers' list of South Carolina Rising Stars.

Experienced Criminal Defense attorney serving clients in Charleston and surrounding areas.