Top best Criminal Defense Lawyers in Tacoma | 181 available

Having been raised as the youngest child in a working class, blue collar family, I learned at a young age the value of hard work, dedication, and standing up for what's right.  I bring all of those values to my criminal defense practice.  If you have been charged with a crime, you need an attorney who will work hard to to obtain the best outcome.  An attorney who is dedicated to your defense.  And most of all, an attorney who will stand up and fight for you.  I have relied on these values throughout my 20+ years practicing criminal defense in the state of Washington.

GRIT CITY LAW is a street-level criminal defense law firm providing experienced legal advice to any individual facing criminal charges, and comprehensive representation in criminal and quasi-criminal matters of all degrees of seriousness and complexity. GRIT CITY LAW attorneys are licensed to practice in all Washington State, County, Municipal and Federal courts.

For over 15 years, I've been a criminal trial attorney, and I have nearly 20 years total legal experience.  I enjoy fighting for my clients - most of whom are facing the toughest challenge of their lives.. When I opened my private firm in 2011, I saw a need for civilian defense attorneys knowledgeable in military law -- someone to assess the consequences faced by servicemembers accused of crimes or misconduct, but who could also assist clients in military and civilian court.  Working with servicemembers has been a great fit for me with my background; I am the daughter of a career Navy NCO, and I married an Army Officer. Just about every generation of my family has sent at least one family member off to war. They fight for us: now I get to fight for them.. While I will always devote a significant portion of my practice to military cases, I also enjoy work with clients from all walks of life.  I listen to my clients and try to understand each client's goals and values, so that we can work closely together to achieve the best outcome.  I pride myself on my legal advocacy in the courtroom and in my written work product. Furthermore, I have advanced training in negotiation and alternative dispute resolution. Often, I can get good results working with prosecutors, Commanders, and law enforcement. when that is appropriate or desirable. For those cases that are not able to be resolved, I work constantly to hone my trial skills, and I am proud of my reputation as a tough litigator.. I am blessed and honored to defend the Constitution for a living.  My clients appreciate that I am passionate about what I do and the fact that I fight hard for them in court, but also like that I'm respectful and down-to-earth. Although I credit my Duke and UW educational background for developing my legal reasoning and writing abilities, what makes me a successful attorney is my hardworking, positive attitude, and my passion for defending people who are facing their toughest legal challenges.  If you have any questions about my practice and how I can help you, please call or email me.  I offer a free consultation for cases in my practice area, so you can see if I am a good fit for you and your case.

Facing criminal charges is a complicated and intimidating process, requiring an experienced and zealous advocate on your side. Throughout this challenging time you need someone unafraid to stand up and protect your rights. I have practiced criminal defense exclusively for my entire career and am passionate about defending people.

Eric Schurman’s criminal defense practice was founded upon the principles of personalized service, zealous representation, and accessibility.  He believes experienced, aggressive, and effective legal defense can be provided to clients at an affordable price.  Eric Schurman understands being charged with a crime can be an extremely stressful situation with serious ramifications.  He takes pride in being available 24/7 to answer questions and concerns to current and prosective clients.  He is just a phone call away.. For over 20 year Eric Schurman has practiced these principles with superior results. He has helped clients win dismissals, acquittals, and significantly reduced sentences. Eric Schurman has successfully handled virtually every type of criminal charge, representing thousands of clients throughout Washingon State.. Eric Schurman has a superior reputation as an effective, aggressive and experienced, criminal defense trial attorney. He is highly skilled in criminal law and has thus won the profound respect of prosecutors and judges alike.

Emelia leads with compassion and empathy at the forefront. She represents her clients as she would her own family: fiercely, competently, and non-judgmentally. She’s always fought for the underdog; both the criminally accused, and more recently on behalf of accident victims battling big insurance companies.. A proud Washingtonian, Emelia was born in and raised in the Seattle/Tacoma area. She graduated from the University of Washington with honors, studying Spanish and Political Science. Thereafter, she attended Gonzaga University where she was recognized at graduation with the Pro Bono Distinction for her work with  the YWCA Domestic Violence Legal Clinic.. A good lawyer understands that presenting her best case involves knowing what makes her opponent tick. Emelia has spent her career soaking up knowledge from both sides of the legal aisle, in dozens of courtrooms up and down Western Washington. She’s been both a criminal prosecutor (in Spokane County) and a criminal defense attorney (practicing in nearly every county West of the Cascades.) Civilly, she worked as Staff Counsel for one of the largest insurance agencies in the country, and now regularly teams up against them on behalf of injured claimants seeking just compensation.. Never one to pass up an opportunity for a jury trial, an arbitration, or a zealous oral argument, Emelia also realizes the importance of her quieter skills: creative and persuasive negotiation tactics, an expertly-analyzed legal brief, and the oft forgotten art of integrity in her dealings with clients and colleagues.. In her free time, she enjoys home renovation projects, volunteering at her kids’ schools, and exploring the cuisine, sights and scenery of the beautiful PNW.

Derek brings more than 20 years of criminal law experience to the Tacoma attorney team of Smith and White. His work as a prosecutor, judge, and defense attorney provide him valuable insight into Washington criminal defense law.. Derek tried hundreds of criminal defense cases, including in the state Court of Appeals and Washington State Supreme Court, as a prosecutor with the cities of Seattle and Kent. He’s worked on or negotiated more than 15,000 criminal defense cases ranging from DUI to felony crimes.. Derek served as a vice and narcotics liaison for the Seattle City Attorney’s Office and received the Seattle Police Department Chief’s Award for his handling of dozens of civil asset forfeitures. He has also presided over thousands of cases as a judge pro tem in Federal Way, Pacific and Des Moines.. He graduated with honors from Seattle University School of Law in 1996.. Derek volunteers his time to local nonprofits including serving as president of the Tacoma Art Museum Activities Council in 2010 for the museum’s 75th Anniversary Gala. He served as vice president then president of St. Mark’s Lutheran by the Narrows church council.  He currently serves on the Stewardship Council for St. Marks and assist his wife, the director of Sunday School for St. Marks.  He is a member of his sons' school PTA and is active in other local charities.. He lives in Tacoma with his family.

Daryl was born and raised in Southern Oregon. He graduated from the University of Oregon and received his law degree cum laude from the University of Puget Sound School of Law in 1977.. His principal areas of practice are criminal defense (felony and misdemeanor) and personal injury (representing injured clients). He is a former King County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney and am admitted to practice before State and Federal Courts.. He is also a former adjunct professor of Trial Advocacy at the University of Puget Sound School of Law and has been a speaker and co-chair at numerous trial lawyer seminars. He is a former President of the Tacoma/Pierce County Bar Association and a former Washington State Bar Association Governor.. He is an active member of Washington State Trial Lawyers’ Association and Association of Trial Lawyers of America. He has been an Eagle member of the WSTLA for over 20 years.. Daryl lives in Tacoma with my black lab named Gunnar.  He enjoys spending time with my family and friends.  His outside interests are traveling, snow skiing, running, bicycling and water skiing.

Cristine began her career as a criminal prosecutor, but found that her true passion was for defending the accused and not prosecuting them. In 2004, she became a criminal defense attorney.. Cristine soon developed a reputation for winning tough cases. In 2007, she opened a criminal law firm in Tacoma.. Today, Cristine works from both her Seattle and Tacoma offices. She defends clients from felony and misdemeanor charges.

Criminal defense attorney Shannon Polley has devoted her entire legal career to getting her clients’ criminal charges significantly reduced or dismissed. She nearly always secures a favorable resolution through aggressive negotiations alone. However, Shannon is also an experienced courtroom litigator and is prepared to fight for a not guilty verdict at trial when necessary.. Shannon earned her B.A. from Washington State University and her J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School, Boulder.

Connor Jepson is a member of the Washington State Bar Association and the United States District Court – Western District of Washington and limits his practice to criminal defense.. Mr. Jepson understands the complexity of the court system and how busy and stressful being accused of a crime can be. He prides himself on his ability to condense information into an easily digestible format for the client and the court. When he starts a project, Mr. Jepson sees it through to its end and thrives on achieving the best client experience. In addition, Connor is well-liked and well-respected by his clients, colleagues, and judges. Mr. Jepson keeps his clients at peace with his positive demeanor.. Mr. Jepson was born and raised in Southeast Alaska. Connor left Alaska for California to achieve his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Humboldt State University. After graduation, Mr. Jepson moved to Washington State to attend Gonzaga University – School of Law where he received his Juris Doctor, cum laude.. When Connor is away from the office, he loves to travel, spend time outdoors, hang out with his kitten, Simon, win backyard badminton championships, and spend time with his family.

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest Nathan Trudeau graduated from Western Washington University in 2010 with a B.A. in Sociology and Political Science.  He then went on to attend Seattle University School of Law where he received his J.D. in 2014.. While in law school, Nathan gained experience in criminal law as a Rule 9 Prosecutor in Anchorage, AK and later at the City of Bonney Lake, WA.. After being admitted to the Washington State Bar, Nathan worked briefly as an associate attorney with Beckwith Law where he gained experience in criminal defense defending clients in jurisdictions accross Washington State.. In 2016 Nathan left Beckwith and went on to establish his own private criminal defense and immigration practice. Over the next 5 years he would build his practice and hone his skills defending hundreds of clients in criminal matters ranging from traffic infractions to violent felonies and helping immigrants and their families achieve their immigration goals and bring their families together in the United States.. Nathan fully understands the difficult challenges presented when faced with criminal allegations and works tirelessly to achieve the best possible outcomes for his clients.

Born and raised in King County, Amanda has had a passion for helping people from a young age. After graduating from the University of Portland in 2014 with a B.A. in English and Communication Studies, she attended The George Washington University Law School, graduating with honors in 2017. During law school, Amanda delved into the field of criminal justice, taking courses and working in the field. She had internships in the Felony and Major Crime Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. She also worked in both criminal and civil domestic violence, interning as a Criminal Domestic Violence Judicial Clerk for the District of Columbia Superior Court and at the Legal Aid Society.. After law school, Amanda moved to New York and worked as a prosecutor at the Bronx District Attorney’s Office. While in the Bronx, Amanda specialized in juvenile prosecution with a focus on gang investigations as well as adult prosecution. Her cases ranged from DUIs and simple assault cases to felony robberies, burglaries, assaults, and attempted murders. After spending three years as a prosecutor, Amanda found that her passion for criminal justice was better suited to being a defense attorney. She joined Puget Law Group in September 2020.. Having been a prosecutor before, Amanda has seen firsthand the difficulties and injustices that people go through in the criminal justice system. She believes in fighting passionately for her clients and ensuring that the rights afforded to the accused by the Constitution are a reality in every case.. When she is not practicing law, Amanda enjoys baking, reading, playing golf, hiking, and spending time with her rescue dog, Luna.

As the daughter of a Pierce County District Court Judicial Assistant, Nichole grew up with a curiosity about criminal law and procedure. After graduating from Gonzaga University with a B.A. in International Relations as well as Political Science, she attended Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. During law school, Nichole gained experience in criminal law working as a judicial clerk at Orleans Parish Criminal Court. Seeing the inefficiencies and injustices in the criminal justice system first-hand motivated her to pursue a career as a criminal defense attorney.. A native of the South Puget Sound, Nichole moved back home to begin her career as an attorney. Shortly after passing the Bar, she joined Puget Law Group as a contract attorney. After a short hiatus working at a civil law firm in Seattle, Nichole returned to PLG as an Associate Attorney.. Nichole fully understands the challenges one goes through when faced with criminal allegations. She is a zealous advocate for her clients and fights for the best possible result in every case.. Nichole lives in Lake Tapps and when she is not practicing law, she enjoys traveling, exploring the outdoors, trying new restaurants, and hanging out with her dog, Bentley.

Alison Ganem is a compassionate advocate for those accused of a crime. While she works aggressively to represent her clients, she also respects that each of her clients is different, each with different circumstances and stories. She understands the stress and fear the uncertainty of the criminal process can bring to a client and their loved ones and makes herself accessible to address any questions or concerns her client may have. This communication allows her to guide her client through the intimidating criminal process.To compliment her individualized advocacy, Alison is also meticulous in reviewing any evidence against her client by looking for inaccuracies or legal insufficiencies she can then use, along with her client’s personal story, to negotiate an outcome favorable to her client.. Alison attended the University of Washington where she received a B.A. in psychology. She then earned her law degree from Seattle University School of Law in 2005 and immediately began her career as a criminal defense attorney working at the Department of Assigned Counsel in Pierce County. There, she gained valuable and extensive trial experience in all types of misdemeanor cases.

After 30 years of representing clients in the Tacoma area, Mr. Bauer has proved himself as not just an attorney, but a counselor at law. On both sides of the aisle, Mr. Bauer has represented people charged with crimes and victims of criminal acts. He realizes that everyone makes mistakes, that you don't need a lawyer to judge or condemn you, that what you need is dedicated passionate counsel who fights hard for you and your rights. Mr. Bauer gives seasoned advice, is able to assess your case with an experienced eye, and is not afraid to try some of the hardest cases imaginable.