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I spent my first 6 1/2 years as an attorney in the Benton County Prosecutors Office.  After the first 2 1/2 years I was promoted to Chief Criminal Deputy and maintain that postition until I left for defense work.  I have done over 70 felony jury trial and numberous misdemeanor.. I have done criminal, DUI, DWI defense for 10 years now.  I believe a defense attorney's job is to zealously represent their client.  I do not make any judgment about guilt or innocence.  I believe my duty is zealous representation.. I practice criminal and DUI defense in Pasco, Richland, Kennewick and the surrounding Tri-Cities area.

John grew up in St. Pete Beach, Florida where his family has owned a greasy spoon diner since the early 1950s. He also played baseball at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL, where he graduated with a degree in Business Administration and Law & Justice.  John went on to graduate from Stetson University College of Law. During law school John was on the dean's list and was also a competitor on the Moot Court team.. After law school, John began work as a Staff Attorney at Gulfcoast Legal Services, Inc. in St. Petersburg, FL. He spent most of his time here handling advanced directives, landlord-tenant, and consumer issues. After a couple of years at Gulfcoast, John began work as an Assistant Public Defender for the 6th Judicial Circuit of Florida. This allowed John to gain a lot of experience in criminal law and had him in the courtroom almost every day of the week, whether it be advocating for clients at their pre-trial hearings or fighting for his clients at trial.. In 2017 John and his wife moved from Florida to Washington to escape the hot weather and be closer to the mountains. John is licensed to practice law both in Washington and Florida.

I am a criminal defense attorney in Kennewick, Washington. I attended law school at Seattle University, graduating cum laude. Following law school, I moved to the Tri-Cities to work for the Benton County Office of Public Defense as a trial attorney. My practice has been 100% criminal law. I have presented at CLEs to other lawyers on issues such as suppressing confessions, presenting a winning case at trial, how to defend DUIs, how to effectively negotiate a case, and understanding case law. I have written an article published by Defense Magazine. In 2022, I graduated from the prestitgous Trial Lawyer's College.

I am a felony attorney in the Cowlitz County Office of Public Defense, representing clients in the Kelso-Longview courts.

I am a fourth generation Washingtonian and grew up in Lakewood and attended Charles Wright Academy.. Before the birth of my daughter, I was very active in tennis having been the chair of the Pacific Northwest Tennis Association's Sportsmanship Committee and having umpired at 4 Davis Cup ties, the Pan American Games, the Federation Cup,  several U.S. Open finals as well as  other professional tennis events. Along with Brian Parrott and Tom Vozenilek, I was responsible for bringing the only professional tennis exhbition ever conducted in the Tacoma Dome--featuring Vitas Gerulaitis and Jimmy Connors.. My involvement in sports led to my being named to the Washington State Olympic Committee and to a volunteer position with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.. Whether it be tennis umpiring or volunteer work or raising my daughter or the practice of law, I always give my best effort and have a track record of positive results based largely on that effort

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.