Criminal Defense in Ashland, Huron & Richland Counties

Charged with a Crime in Ashland, Huron, or Richland County?

A criminal charge — even a misdemeanor — threatens more than the penalty on paper. A conviction can cost you your job, your professional license, your housing, and your reputation in a community where people know each other. Assault and other misdemeanors in Ohio can carry real jail time, and how the first weeks of your case are handled often decides the outcome.

Cases I Handle

• Domestic Violence, Assault and Disorderly Conduct — including bar fights, domestic disputes, and neighbor conflicts where the story is more complicated than the police report.
• Misdemeanors carrying jail time — theft, criminal damaging, obstruction, resisting arrest, and similar charges in the municipal courts of Ashland, Huron, and Richland counties.
• OVI / DUI — my core practice area. See the OVI defense page for penalties and deadlines.
• Serious traffic offenses — driving under suspension, reckless operation, and charges that threaten your license.

What a Defense Actually Looks Like

Every case gets the same treatment: I pull the reports, the video, and the witness statements; I look for the weaknesses in the state's case — the unlawful stop, the unreliable witness, the missing element; and I prepare as if we are going to trial. That preparation is what creates leverage, whether the right outcome for you is a dismissal, a reduction, a diversion program that keeps your record clean, or a trial.

You will always know where your case stands. I return calls personally, and most misdemeanor matters are handled for a flat fee of $1,500 to $2,500, quoted before you hire me.

Ohio Misdemeanor Penalties at a Glance

These are the maximums Ohio law allows for each degree of misdemeanor (R.C. 2929.24, 2929.28):

The degree of the charge is not fixed — it depends on the allegations and your record, and it is often where a defense makes its first difference. Assault (R.C. 2903.13), for example, is a first-degree misdemeanor at baseline but becomes a felony in certain circumstances.

The First Two Weeks Decide More Than the Trial

Your arraignment comes within days of the charge. What happens there — the plea entered, the bond conditions set, whether anyone has demanded the evidence yet — shapes everything after it. Cruiser and body-camera video is not kept forever, witnesses' memories are freshest now, and the earliest version of the police narrative is the one worth testing. The sooner I am involved, the more of your case there is left to defend.

Frequently Asked Questions