Top Best Criminal Defense Lawyers | 14570 Available

I am a Past President of the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Panel Representative of the Federal C.J.A. Criminal Defense Panel in the Southern District of Illinois, a founding member of the SDIL's Federal Bar Association chapter, a past board member and current passive member of the St. Clair County Bar Association, and a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.  On several occasions, I've served as a lecturer at criminal defense seminars in Chicago and in downstate Illinois, where I have taught trial skills and 4th Amendment search and seizure laws to fellow attorneys.  I've been identified by my peers in statewide surveys as a 'Leading Lawyer' in the area of criminal defense.  I handle state and federal cases.. In 2001, my career as a criminal defense lawyer began as a St. Clair County Public Defender, where I won numerous consecutive criminal trials during a six months tenure. Thereafter, I spent a little over a year working as a federal law clerk in the Southern District of Illinois, serving two former Chief Judges, namely G. Patrick Murphy and Michael J. Reagan.  In June of 2003, I entered private practice as an associate working under two prominent criminal defense attorneys, namely the Honorable John O'Gara and the current St. Clair County State's attorney, James Gomric, Jr.  In 2005, I started my own law firm, which still operates today under the name Kuehn, Beasley & Young.. I have obtained several favorable trial verdicts over my years of practice.  Within the past few years, in three separate first degree murder cases, I earned outright acquittals.  In two other first degree murder prosecutions that proceeded to trial, my clients were acquitted of first degree murder and second degree murder, but convicted of manslaughter.  One client received a probationary term and the other recieved a 5-year term to be served at 50% .  Additionally, I recently represented a client at a jury trial on charges of attempted first degree murder and three counts of aggravated battery with a firearm.  He was acquitted on all charges.  My reputation in the legal community as a successful criminal defense lawyer and as a successful trial lawyer is perhaps best evidenced by the fact that several lawyers and police officers have retained my services.. I live in Belleville with his wife, Ashlie, and my three children, Jack, Brooke, and Caroline.

I am a criminal defense attorney.  That is all that I do.  I do not dabble in other areas of law.  I solely practice criminal defense.  Whether your case requires a jury trial, plea negotiations, or appellate advocacy, I have done all of these things effectively and continue to do them on a daily basis.. Criminal charges have serious consequences that can follow a person for life.  I strive to have a close connection with all of my clients to ensure that they feel comfortable and are always fully informed about their case.  I encourage my clients to ask questions and to call me if they are unsure about anything.  When my clients call me, unless I am in Court, I actually answer the phone. If I am in Court or with a client, I return the call promptly.   This includes calls at night or on weekends.  If you are my client, you will have my cell phone number.  You will not continuously reach my voicemail or a secretary.. The choices that my clients and I make about their cases are important and I insist that my clients are active participants in their defense.   I strive to provide them with candid and well informed advice that comes from working in this field for the past twelve years.. I am licensed to practice in Missouri and Illinois.  Although the bulk of my practice is in and around the St. Louis area I routinely travel to other jurisdictions in each state. Regardless of your specific issue, whether it be a municipal, state or federal charge, please feel free to contact me for a free consultation.  I am more than willing to answer your questions and provide you with my professional opinion.

I concentrate on general/commercial litigation, criminal defense (including white-collar), and personal injury matters, but have experience handling financial industry regulatory issues, government enforcement defense, financial industry contractual disputes, professional licensing defense, and insurance coverage matters as well.  I have extensive courtroom experience (over thirty cases to verdict) and have gotten results for clients through mediation, arbitration, and dispositive pretrial motions.

I understand the impact of criminal charges on lives. If you are accused, I will work with you to get the best result. That may be  dropped or amended charges or a trial to make the prosecutor prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.. A 7th-generation Missourian, I am the son of a shoe-cutter and a Sunday School teacher who is proud to be a Missourian and the first lawyer in my family.

Nancy Martin is a partner at the law firm of Jenkins & Kling, P.C. located in Clayton, Missouri. She focuses her practice on bankruptcy, debtor/creditor rights, commercial law, and civil litigation.. After working several years for a creditors' rights firm as bankruptcy and litigation counsel to residential mortgage companies, Nancy established her own law office in 2009 to offer her clients sophisticated legal representation and insightful counsel. In 2014, she joined the firm of Jenkins & Kling, P.C., as a principal to carry on that mission with renewed focus and support.. Over the course of her career, Nancy has represented a vast range of creditors and debtors, inside and out of bankruptcy. This experience has given her a broad and varied perspective of the issues that both face--a perspective that is uncommon for many practitioners.  Nancy is motivated by the opportunity to listen to a client’s story and propose a plan for resolution. She is a problem-solver and does not hesitate to use any of the tools available under law to help her clients reach their goals.. Nancy serves as member of the Local Rules Advisory Committee for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, which committee periodically drafts changes to the local rules of bankruptcy practice to improve the experience for both practitioner and litigant. She also presently serve as Vice President of the Hispanic Bar Association of St. Louis and Vice President of Membership of the BJC Toastmasters Club in St. Louis, Missouri.

Matthew is a principal in the law firm of Frank, Juengel & Radefeld, Attorneys at Law in Clayton, Missouri specializing in Federal and State criminal law.  He has tried cases throughout Illinois, Missouri, and the District Court of Eastern Missouri.  He has argued before the Eastern District of Missouri, the Missouri Supreme Court and U.S.C.A. for the Eighth Circuit.  He is licensed in the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S.C.A for the Armed Forces.. Matthew has served as Chair of BAMSL's Criminal Practice Section and was a member of its CLE Committee and Board of Governors.  He served three terms on the Missouri Bar Young Lawyers Section, during which he served on its Executive Council, the Public Defender and Special Needs Task Forces.  He is currently an executive council member of the St. Louis County Bar Association.. Matthew has a long service record with the U.S. Military.  At the age of 17, he entered and served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves from 1993-2000.  Soon after he was honorably discharged from the Marines, the 9/11 tragedy occurred and Matthew once again volunteered to serve his country.  This time he was commissioned in the U.S. Army Reserves wherein he served 9 years in the JAG Corps and obtained the rank of Captain.  In both of these branches of the military, Matthew received numerous awards and commendations.. Matthew has a background in law enforcement and has prosecuted cases in both state and military courts.  During law school, Matthew interned at the McLean County, Illinois State's Attorney's Office, the City of St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office and the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.  Through these experiences, Matthew has had an opportunity to see how a criminal case works its way through the system and has utilized this knowledge to better assist his clients today.. Matthew has achieved the distinction of being rated as an AV-Preeminent lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell in the area of criminal defense, a distinction reserved for the Top 5% of lawyers in the nation.  Throughout his career, he has received numerous other accolades for his litigation skills.  Most recently, Matthew's accomplishments in criminal trial work was recognized by his peers and judges when he was awarded the 2014 Lon O. Hocker Award for excellence in trial practice by the Missouri Bar.  Matthew has also authored numerous legal articles and presented CLE's for the Missouri Bar and Lorman Education Services.. In addition to defending criminal cases, Matthew has also successfully assisted clients with representation in administrative hearings pertaining to Child Abuse and Neglect Review Boards, Title IX hearings at universities and colleges throughout Missouri and Illinois, Department of Mental Health proceedings, Department of Agriculture EBT benefits contests, Department of Defense Security Clearance hearings, Conceal and Carry Permit Appeals, federal and state forfeitures and order of protection hearings- to name just a few.. If you need help, let Frank, Juengel & Radefeld, Attorneys at Law assist you in the manner that you deserve to be represented.

Nathan Swanson is an associate with Rosenblum, Schwartz & Fry.  Nathan received his B.A. from the Colorado College in 2004, and his M.A. from King’s College, London in 2006.  He graduated from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2009.. While at DU, Nathan served as a student attorney with the Civil Rights Clinic, representing those incarcerated in the Supermax prison, located in Canon City, Colorado.  He was admitted to the Colorado Bar in October, 2009, and to the Missouri Bar in April, 2010.. He began his career in Denver, litigating in the persona injury.  He moved to Missouri to pursue his dream of criminal defense.  Since 2011, he has devoted himself to representing and defending those who are accused of crimes, from the simple and mundane to the complicated and unique.

Erin specializes in state-level criminal defense at the law firm of Kuehn, Beasley & Young, P.C. Erin started her career as a St. Clair County Assistant Public Defender, where she secured numerous "not guilty" verdicts in felony, misdemeanor, and juvenile cases. She then became an Assistant State’s Attorney, where she secured numerous "guilty" verdicts in cases assigned to the Violent Crimes Unit; she was also the Chief of the Criminal Bureau and taught at the Southern Illinois Law Enforcement Commission. While she was a prosecutor, Erin also taught American Politics at McKendree University. Erin graduated summa cum laude from McKendree University, with a B.A. in Biology and Political Science. She served as captain of the Speech & Debate Team, where she won four Pi Kappa Delta National Championships. She graduated from Saint Louis University School of Law, with a concentration in Criminal Litigation and a certificate in International and Comparative Law. She competed on the Jessup International Law Moot Court Team. Erin lives in Belleville with her fiance, Chris, and their three cats - Scout, Stevie, and Sophia.

I have always been interested in practicing criminal law as far back as I can remember.  After I graduated law school I went straight into working at the Public Defender's office where I gained experience handling hundreds of criminal cases from simple misdemeanors to complex Class A & B felonies.  After two years I left the Public Defender's office and started my own law practice and have been in private practice ever since.

I guarantee that I will thoughtfully and aggressively represent you or your loved one. My trial, negotiating experience and reputation for tough, honest representation span more than two decades. I know how to investigate a case and consider every possible approach, so that you can have the most options possible from which to choose a safe, beneficial way forward.I have never done any sort of work but criminal defense. We will not be hurried, but rather will take the time we need to explore all of your options.I promise to listen to you, to treat you with respect, to answer your questions and to return your phone calls. I look forward to meeting you. I hope that when you leave my office, you can feel more confident and hopeful; you can leave the worrying to me.

Recipient of AVVO’s “2019 CLIENT’S CHOICE AWARD”. Attorney Cheryl R. Whitley has over ten years of law enforcement experience. She has served as a police officer; special operations officer; police detective and narcotics investigator. This professional experience from “the other side” has given her a thorough understanding of how crimes are prosecuted and gives her THE EDGE in aggressively defending your case.The Scales of Justice is not always balanced and Cheryl has witnessed many forms of injustice in a system supposedly designed to protect the innocent. Martin Luther King, Jr. said “Injustice Anywhere is a threat to Justice Everywhere.” Witnessing injustice first hand struck a burning desire within Cheryl to obtain her law degree so that she might be that voice to fight for the rights of the oppressed.Cheryl’s unwavering desire to fight for justice led her to the infamous Johnnie Cochran Law Firm where she did her internship. Upon graduation Cheryl was hired by the Cochran Firm-St. Louis as a Law Clerk. For almost three years Cheryl offered her expertise in proper police procedure and in civil rights cases. During that period Cheryl made many successful arguments in civil rights cases on behalf of the clients.Attorney Cheryl R. Whitley is “NOW ON YOUR SIDE” ready to vigorously defend your case.

I turn major roadblocks into minor speed bumps by providing aggressive representation with great results. This helps you move on with your life by being able to put your case behind you. I do this by providing:. • The right focus: I begin every case by focusing on what it will take to win, and then backing it up with action. I am concerned with more than just the pending case, and pride myself on thinking about where your life will be years from now.  • The right experience: With more than 10 years of experience, I have tried numerous cases to judges and juries alike, and have avoided countless years in prison/jail for my clients. Once a case has ended, I have cleared up people's criminal histories, and gotten people back on the road. My success speaks for itself, and. • The right knowledge: being licensed in more than one state, in federal court, and before the U.S. Supreme Court means I have the education, the background, and the familiarity with the law that you need. I put that knowledge to work for my clients, and use it to my clients' advantage.. • The right information: You will always be kept up-to-date, and always fully understand everything about your case. Although the law is complex, speaking with me is not, and you will no longer be confused with or about anything.. • Flexibility on time and cost: I pride myself on being competitive both in and out of the courtroom. That means being available after hours for my clients and being competitive on cost. I always seek to accommodate my clients' schedules, always make hiring me easy, and always work with people to make hiring me possible.. • Being available: feel free to give me a call directly at, by e-mailing me at , or by contacting me through Twitter or Facebook.

My name is John P. Lonergan. I am a former prosecutor who has been practicing law since 1992. I devote my practice to the handling of criminal and family law matters. Licensed in Missouri, Texas, and Illinois, I have extensive experience in protecting the rights of the accused. I recognize that people require aggressive representation. I also recognize that many attorneys fail to stay in regular communication with their clients. It is my goal, in each and every case I handle, to ensure that your rights are fully protected and that you are always up to date as to the status of your case.I will promptly return your phone calls, quickly respond to emails, and will make myself available to answer your questions. I regularly provide clients with my cell phone number so I may be reached directly.