Board-Certified* Criminal Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
Two innocent men had been convicted of a crime they didn’t commit. When I was a student at IU McKinney School of Law, I participated in their Wrongful Convictions Clinic. Roosevelt Glenn and Daryl Pinkins were innocent men who had already served long prison sentences. They were both ultimately exonerated, but helping out on the case had a huge impact on me. I realized how high the stakes are in criminal law. Simply put, there is no room for error.
I knew from then on that I wanted to help with high-stakes cases. My career began at the Marion County Public Defender Agency, and I worked my way into the Major Felony Division. There, I took more than 90 cases to trial, handling cases ranging from petty theft to homicide.
When I moved on to the Marion County Prosecutor’s office, it was as a prosecutor. There, I handled major felony cases, which honed my skilled at trial and gave me an in-depth understanding of how both sides think. Viewing cases through the lens of a prosecutor has made me a better criminal defense lawyer because I bring that perspective to every case.
I’ve tried 26 jury trials as a prosecutor. Handled 9 murder trials and 2 trials regarding attempted murder. Coupled with my work as a criminal defender, I’ve been to trial more than 100 times and gone before a jury on more than 50 occasions.
Defending those accused of serious crimes has given me a better understanding of the human side of legal practice and motivated me to keep our clients from experiencing the unfair consequences of an unjust criminal justice system. In addition to being a good lawyer, I do my best to treat people well and use my experience to fight for my clients’ best interests on every occasion and at every turn.
It started with fighting for Roosevelt Glenn and Daryl Pinkins in law school, and it continues with fighting every day for each of our clients and their family and friends.