General Info:
My experience spans twenty-seven years working as a criminal defense attorney in Iowa, Missouri, Alabama and Florida, and ten years teaching criminal law and criminal procedure courses at Graceland University in southern Iowa. My practice includes representation of clients on all felony and misdemeanor charges in state court, including: drug crimes, intimate assault, drunk driving (OWI), child abuse, murder, conspiracy, forgery, identity theft, fraud, theft, burglary, assault, robbery, arson, offender registration violations, and all types of traffic offenses. I also have an active immigration practice, representing clients in connection with Visa applications, deportation and removal proceedings, citizenship and VAWA applications, etc. I represent clients in all injury cases, including automobile accidents, truck collisions, work accidents, construction accidents, and wrongful death. I also have an active family law practice including divorce, child custody and support, as well as modification actions. I am professionally fluent in Spanish. Working with the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative, I have provided criminal trial practice training to judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys in Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, and Ecuador. If you dont speak English, you need a lawyer who can speak your language. If you are an immigrant, conviction of a crime could get you deported. You have my pledge that we will not settle your case without full knowledge of the immigration consequences to you. Did the police have a right to stop your car? Was your property searched illegally? Did the police force you to make incriminating statements? Was evidence planted? Was the breath machine working properly? Did the police fail to give the Miranda warnings? I will analyze these issues and more as I work to develop the best possible defense in your case. False allegations of abuse against children are especially difficult to defend, and require the skills of a lawyer with a successful track record in cases of false abuse allegations. I will help you answer the most difficult question: If it didnt happen, then why did the child say it did. If you cant explain this to the jury, then you stand little chance of a not guilty verdict. I am a small town lawyer with big city experience. I fight hard for my clients in every case. Whether you need a lawyer to prove your innocence, or a lawyer who will use all the tools of a good defense to bargain with the state, you have my pledge to fight for you. Your first appointment is free. Let me represent you. I will fight aggressively to defend your rights.