Top Best Criminal Defense Lawyers | 33551 Available

I am a criminal defense attorney. I will occassionally take on other cases--but it's extremely rare. My passion and expertise is in criminal law and I love getting uncommon results in difficult cases.

James Ventura has been practicing law since 1983. With his 33 years of experience he has been able to help many people accused of serious crimes.. Jim is licensed to practice law in Minnesota District Courts, Minnesota Federal Court, Minnesota Court of Appeals, Minnesota Supreme Court, United States Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, Arizona Federal Court and the United States Supreme Court.. James believes in fighting for the best outcome for his clients, given their individual predicament. He strives to reach this goal each and every day. James has defended people accused of DWI, possession of firearms, drug possession/sale, domestic assault, assault (felony, gross misdemeanor, and misdemeanor), aggravated assault, sexual assault, aggravated robbery, terroristic threats, burglary and many other crimes.. James belongs to many organizations such as the Minnesota Society for Criminal Justice, Douglas K. Amdahl American Inn of Court, Minnesota Association for Justice, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. James has also been awarded a SuperLawyer every year since 1999!. If you find yourself suspected or charged with a crime, James offers a consultation over the phone or in his office at absolutely no charge. James is willing to walk you through the law, court process, and defenses to the charge(s) in which you are facing. Please call James M. Ventura, Attorney at Law for a free consultation today!.

Mark's primary practice area is criminal law. Additionally, Mark practices in general litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Mark was a law clerk to the Honorable Dale V. Sandstrom of the North Dakota Supreme Court. Mark received undergraduate degrees in Criminal Justice and Social/Behavioral Sciences from Bismarck State College and the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. He received his law degree, with distinction, from the University of North Dakota School of Law, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif.. Mark was a Bismarck police officer for over 5 years. As an officer, he performed numerous additional duties, including: field and recruit training; membership on the tactical team and bomb disposal team; and chemical test operator. Mark has trained law enforcement officers at seminars conducted throughout the United States. Mark also teaches law-related topics at North Dakota State University in Fargo and the University of North Dakota School of Law in Grand Forks. He frequently speaks for criminal justice organizations across the state.. Mark retired from the North Dakota Army National Guard after serving for over 24 years, holding numerous positions, including platoon leader, executive officer, detachment commander, company commander, battalion staff, assistant staff judge advocate and state judge advocate.. Mark is a charter member and former Secretary of the North Dakota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Since 2010, Mark has served as the District of North Dakota Criminal Justice Act Panel Representative.

Adam Justinger recognizes that some of the most difficult times in an individual’s life is when they have been charged with a crime. As a criminal defense attorney for SW&L Attorneys, Adam vigorously defends his clients and strives to get his clients the best possible outcome in their case.. What Made Adam Want to Practice Criminal Defense. During his first year of law school, Adam was unsure of what area of law he wanted to practice. At the end of his first year, Adam accepted a law clerk position with a criminal defense firm in Grand Forks, North Dakota. During his two years as a law clerk, Adam found his passion doing criminal defense law. After clerking, Adam was hired by SW&L Attorneys to practice in the area of criminal defense and has decided to focus his career on the defense of people accused of crimes.. Educational Background. Adam attended the University of North Dakota  and received a degree in Political Science with a minor in Public Administration. After graduation, Adam enrolled in law school at the University of North Dakota School of Law and earned his law degree in 2018.. During law school, Adam was very active. Adam’s greatest passion while in law school was participating in mock cases to perfect his oral advocacy skills. Adam participated in Moot Court during his second and third year of law school. During the internal Moot Court competition, Adam and his team partner received the best brief award. This allowed Adam the opportunity to advance to external Moot Court during his second and third year. During Adam’s second year of law school, Adam traveled to Las Vegas, NV to compete in the Frank A. Schreck Gaming Law Moot Court Competition. During Adam’s third year of law school, he traveled to Saint Paul, MN and competed in the McGee Moot Court Competition. Adam and his team partner advanced to the semifinal round. As a result of his success in Moot Court, Adam was accepted into the Order of the Barristers (awarded for oral advocacy and brief writing skills). Adam joined the the Energy Law Association his first year of law school and became the President during his second and third year. Furthermore, Adam was the secretary of the Student Bar Association during his second year, and the vice president of the organization during his third year. Additionally, Adam was a member of the Criminal Law Association and the Sports Law Association.. Personal Background. Adam was born and raised in Kimberly, Wisconsin by his mother who taught him the importance of an education. At age five, Adam looked at his mother and told her that he wanted to be an attorney because he enjoyed arguing. Although that has always been Adam’s dream, he began working for his grandparents construction business, which taught him the importance of hardwork, and communication. Even though Adam enjoyed working construction, he never forgot about his goal of becoming an attorney and went on to receive his law degree in 2018. In his spare time, Adam enjoys traveling/spending time with his girlfriend, hunting and fishing, socializing with family and friends, listening to music, and cooking.. Bar Admissions. Admitted to practice in North Dakota since 2018, Bar ID number 08635Admitted to practice in Minnesota since 2018, Bar ID number 0400351Admitted to practice in United States District Court, District of North Dakota since 2018.Admitted to practice in United States District Court, District of Minnesota since 2023.Admitted to practice in United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit since 2022.. Adam is not licensed to practice law in any jurisdiction not identified above.. Professional Memberships and Certifications. President, Cass County Bar Association (“CCBA”)Member, North Dakota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (“NDACDL”)Member, Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (“MACDL”)Member, DUI Defense Lawyers Association (“DUIDLA”)Member, State Bar Association of North Dakota (“SBAND”)Member, Minnesota State Bar Association (“MSBA”)Member, MSBA Criminal Law SectionMember, American Inns of CourtMember, North Dakota Association for Justice. Criminal Defense Top 40 Under 40, The National Trial Lawyers2021 Great Plains Rising Star, Super Lawyers2022 Great Plains Rising Star, Super Lawyers. Blog Articles and Contributing Information. For Adam’s blog articles, current criminal defense issues, and other relevant information regarding the area of criminal defense, add Adam on LinkedIn.

Luke is an attorney at Vogel Law Firm. Luke’s practice area is criminal defense, where he aggressively advocates for his clients to achieve positive outcomes in their matters. Prior to working at Vogel, Luke was the head of the criminal defense department at another local law firm.. Luke attended Jamestown College in Jamestown, North Dakota, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Economics and Global Business. After graduating from Jamestown College, Luke attended the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There, Luke concentrated on criminal law courses and clerked at the First District Public Defender’s Office. Luke was also selected by his UST Law class to be their commencement speaker.Luke was born and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota and graduated from Jamestown High School.. During high school, Luke was a member of student government and was a member of the varsity basketball team for three years, including a senior year where he was named a unanimous selection to the All-WDA basketball team and chosen to the Class A Lion’s All-Star team.. Luke met his wife, Holly, while attending Jamestown College. In his free time, Luke enjoys spending time with Holly and their children, watching sports and movies, and continues to play amateur basketball to his teammate’s dismay.

Prior to co-founding Ringstrom DeKrey, Dane DeKrey spent nearly a decade honing his craft in both private and public law.. Most recently, Dane was the Director of the ACLU of North Dakota, where he strived to make the state a better place to live for all its residents. His work took many forms, including lobbying at the state capital, writing about criminal justice issues, running grassroots campaigns, and fighting against discriminatory laws and practices of any kind.. Before that, Dane worked as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in Fargo, North Dakota, handling hundreds of federal criminal cases. His caseload included alleged drug possession and distribution, illegal gun possession, noncitizen illegal reentry, and supervised release violations. He also handled cases originating on the Turtle Mountain Indian and Spirit Lake Dakota Reservations, including alleged murder, manslaughter, sexual assault, assault, arson, and others.. Dane began his legal career representing average people taking on large companies at Zimmerman Reed LLP, an elite boutique class action law firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He remains close with the firm and often collaborates with them and other firms on cases involving civil rights violations, consumer protection violations, and catastrophic personal injury.. Dane attended law school at the University of Minnesota, where he graduated magna cum laude (top 10% of class). Before law school, Dane worked for Congressman Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota. Before that, Dane attended college at the University of North Dakota, where he graduated summa cum laude (top 1% of class), received the top undergraduate thesis award, and was elected Phi Beta Kappa.. Outside of his legal work, Dane serves on the board of Lunch Aid North Dakota and as an advisor to the Great Northern Innocence Project. While Dane grew up in Wyoming, his roots are in North Dakota.

Trent Barkus is a proud Veteran who grew up in Jamestown, North Dakota. He attended the University of North Dakota for law school. Trent attended the Jamestown College for his undergraduate degree and Troy University for his graduate degree. He received a Bachelor of Arts in History/Political Science with a minor in Economics in 2008. In 2010, Trent enlisted in the United States Navy as an Intelligence Specialist and while serving received a Master of Science in International Relations in 2015. He left active duty and joined the reserves where he was appointed a Naval Officer in 2017. During law school Trent worked as a law clerk dedicating his time to criminal cases. Additionally, he interned over the summer of 2017 as a Judicial Law Clerk in Becker County, Minnesota. Trent has first hand experience in handling various criminal cases.. Trent resides in West Fargo with his family.. He was admitted to practice in North Dakota in state and federal court in 2019.

Jesse Lange completed a double-major in Criminal Justice and Sociology at Minot State University.  Jesse graduated with distinction from the University of North Dakota Law School having earned numerous awards and honors for his scholarship and his success in competition.. A lifelong interest in civil rights and criminal justice issues led Jesse to focus his career on the defense of people accused of crimes.  He has extensive litigation experience in the courts of North Dakota, Minnesota, and the Federal system with cases involving drug, personal, and property crimes.  As an advocate, he has been very successful in jury trials and in pretrial suppression hearings.  His practice also extends to appeals and post-conviction relief having successfully represented clients in the appellate courts of both North Dakota and Minnesota, and in post conviction proceedings to overturn guilty verdicts and sentences.. He is a zealous and determined advocate for his clients and a formidable opponent to any prosecutor.

Daniel earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Dakota with a double-major in Political Science and History. Daniel went on to complete his Juris Doctor degree at the University of North Dakota School of Law, graduating with distinction. Daniel's undergraduate studies fostered an interest in the development of the criminal justice system in the United States and influenced his decision to focus his legal practice solely on criminal defense. Daniel is the firm's primary attorney on Minnesota criminal defense cases and is a staunch advocate for those he represents. Daniel is licensed and practices in all courts in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Federal Court.. A native of Minnesota, Daniel grew up in Detroit Lakes. In his spare time, Daniel enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, spending time with friends and family, golfing, bowling, fishing, and an occasional Twins game.

Erica is an attorney with the criminal defense practice group in our Fargo and Grand Forks offices.. Erica earned her juris doctor from the University of North Dakota School of Law. While in law school, Erica cultivated and enhanced her courtroom advocacy skills in preparation of becoming a zealous advocate for her clients. She participated and excelled in several advocacy competitions including the Phi Alpha Delta National Trial Competition, the Texas Young Lawyers Association National Trial Competition, the Carrigan Cup Intramural Trial Competition, and moot court. Erica received numerous honors, awards, and scholarships recognizing her exceptional advocacy abilities, including attaining the highest grade in her criminal advocacy course. She also served as president of the Student Trial Lawyers Association, a judicial extern for the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota, and an intern for the Grand Forks County State’s Attorney’s Office. Before joining the Vogel Law Firm, Erica served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Chief Justice Jon J. Jensen of the North Dakota Supreme Court.. Erica graduated from Bismarck Century High School and earned her bachelor of science degree in political science and philosophy from North Dakota State University. At NDSU, Erica was actively involved in student government and other student-led organizations. She also sang in NDSU’s Concert Choir, Madrigal Singers, and BisonArts Singers.. Erica lives in Grand Forks with her husband, Alex, who is a choir teacher at Red River High School. She enjoys spending her free time with friends and family, traveling, and taking long walks with her English Cocker Spaniel, Theodore.