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Best Criminal Defense Lawyers in Charleston, WV

Our Recommended Top 10

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Our goal is to connect people with the best local professionals. We scored Charleston criminal defense lawyers on more than 25 variables across five categories, and analyzed the results to give you a hand-picked list of the best.

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Providers

featured provider = Featured Provider

3744 Teays Valley Road, Suite 204, Hurricane, WV 25526

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Facebook
5.0 (2)
Avvo
5.0 (2)

Why choose this provider?

Barney Law PLLC is a law firm that handles criminal defense cases in Charleston. It represents clients against charges of murder, sexual abuse, assault, computer fraud, and DUI with injury. The law office also represents parties who have been convicted for serious crimes in habeas corpus actions. Before his private practice, Founder Mark Barney previously worked in a firm handling personal injury matters and was chosen as one of the top 100 personal injury attorneys by The National Trial Lawyers.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Mark Barney - FounderActive19 yrs

16 Capitol St, Charleston, WV 25301

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (13)
Facebook
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Since 2020, Walters Law Firm, PLLC, has been assisting citizens of Charleston and surrounding locations in West Virginia who are facing criminal charges for negligent activities that caused injuries to others. It carries out independent investigations to help its clients get proof that their activities did not cause the accident. Additionally, it protects its clients' rights and interests in court and partakes in settlement negotiations to help them avoid being held financially liable for any damages suffered by other people.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Ron Walters - PrincipalActive5 yrs

3818 MacCorkle Avenue Southeast, Charleston, WV 25304

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Facebook
5.0 (5)
FindLaw
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

John J. Balenovich Law Offices LC is a Charleston-based criminal defense firm. Mr. Balenovich has many years of experience handling the full spectrum of criminal cases, from DUI, tax fraud, and political corruption to drug offenses, rape, and capital murder. Attorney Balenovich is admitted to practice in West Virginia's state courts and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District. He also practices family law, bankruptcy, and personal injury law.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
John Balenovich - PrincipalActive19 yrs

805 Bigley Avenue, Charleston, WV 25302

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Yelp
3.5 (3)
Facebook
5.0 (2)
Avvo
3.5 (2)

Why choose this provider?

With more than 30 years of legal experience, The Law Offices of Claude S. Smith, III, provides legal counsel and representation to locals of Charleston, West Virginia. With its criminal defense services, it helps clients facing criminal charges reduce their eventual penalties, guides them through the process of getting the charges against them dropped, and protects them from having a crime on their permanent record. The legal practice also examines the evidence against the accused and checks whether law enforcement officers have complied with arrest protocols.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Claude Smith - PrincipalActive33 yrs

716 Lee Street East, Charleston, WV 25301

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Facebook
5.0 (5)
Avvo
4.0 (4)
Yelp
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Pritt & Spano PLLC is a firm of criminal defense attorneys in Charleston with more than 20 years of experience defending those accused of criminal behavior. The attorneys have experience handling a range of felony and misdemeanor cases, including DUI/DWI and white-collar crimes, such as identify theft, fraud, and embezzlement. The firm's attorneys are members of the West Virginia Association for Justice. They are available 24/7 and also practice personal injury and family law.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Alan Pritt - Founding PartnerActive15 yrs
Joseph Spano - Founding PartnerActive15 yrs

707 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 25301

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

Kay Casto & Chaney PLLC deals with cases involving criminal allegations in Charleston and adjacent cities in West Virginia. Its criminal defense lawyers perform internal corporate investigations and collaborate with regulators and prosecutors to help defendants acquire evidence that demonstrates that they are not guilty. Additionally, they help their clients achieve positive outcomes for their cases by defending their interests at every level of the criminal justice system, including appeals and trials. The firm has been in the legal sector since 1923.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Craig Kay - MemberActive37 yrs
Michael Chaney - Partner/MemberActive52 yrs
Robert Rodecker - MemberActive51 yrs
Teresa Dumire - Managing MemberActive26 yrs

105 Capitol Street, Charleston, WV 25301

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

The Carrico Law Offices is a family-oriented practice with a hands-on approach to tackling criminal defense cases and leveraging its extensive experience to defend the accused. Serving Charleston and the rest of West Virginia, the firm handles state crimes, like DUI and small-scale drug offenses, and federal crimes, such as embezzlement, money laundering, sexual abuse, and serious drug cases. The Carrico Law Offices has been providing aggressive legal representation to clients for over 45 years.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Timothy Carrico - PartnerActive30 yrs

1118 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, WV 25301

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Facebook
5.0 (3)
Avvo
5.0 (3)
FindLaw
0.5 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Founded in 2001, Forbes Law Offices PLLC is a small team of criminal lawyers in Charleston that advises clients under investigation and defends those charged with crimes. The attorneys represent defendants in cases of theft, including robbery, burglary, and shoplifting. They also defend clients accused of DUI/DWI anywhere in West Virginia. Forbes Law Offices PLLC includes attorneys who are members of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the West Virginia Association for Justice.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
William Forbes - PartnerActive20 yrs

205 Capitol Street, Charleston, WV 25301

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Facebook
5.0 (4)
FindLaw
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Zerbe & Pence, PLLC, has more than 15 years of experience providing legal services to those who require criminal defense services in Charleston, West Virginia. The law firm navigates the justice system to assist individuals wrongly accused of a crime in avoiding conviction and prison time. It offers legal services to those facing charges of assault, public intoxication, drug crimes, shoplifting, and domestic battery. The legal practice also provides consultation to those who have committed traffic violations or faced DUI charges.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
David Pence - PartnerActive20 yrs

707 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 25323

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

Carey Douglas Kessler & Ruby PLLC offers criminal defense services to individuals charged with crimes in Charleston and across West Virginia. It is led by former federal prosecutors who possess the investigative expertise and determination to pursue the truth wherever it may lead. The firm employs innovative tactics to shift the balance in its clients' favor, mitigate their sentences, or secure the dismissal of their cases. The firm has been providing legal representation services for three decades.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
John Kessler - PartnerActive49 yrs
Michael Carey - PartnerActive46 yrs

Compare our Top Criminal Defense Lawyers

NameExpertise RatingAddressPromotionsLearn more
Barney Law PLLC
3744 Teays Valley Road, Suite 204, Hurricane, WV 25526
Walters Law Firm, PLLC
16 Capitol St, Charleston, WV 25301
John J. Balenovich Law Offices, LC
3818 MacCorkle Avenue Southeast, Charleston, WV 25304
Law Offices of Claude S. Smith, III
805 Bigley Avenue, Charleston, WV 25302
Pritt & Spano, PLLC
716 Lee Street East, Charleston, WV 25301
Kay Casto & Chaney PLLC
707 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 25301
Carrico Law Offices LC
105 Capitol Street, Charleston, WV 25301
Forbes Law Offices PLLC
1118 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, WV 25301
Zerbe & Pence, PLLC
205 Capitol Street, Charleston, WV 25301
Carey, Scott, Douglas & Kessler, PLLC
707 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 25323

Disclaimer:  Consumers utilizing Expertise.com are free to communicate and contract with any lawyer they choose. Expertise.com is not involved in the confidential attorney-client relationship. Featured lawyers pay a reasonable advertising cost to market their legal services with Expertise.com and must meet similar selection criteria as other lawyers. All cases are different. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Charleston, WV Criminal Defense FAQs

  • What is the non-emergency contact number for the local police station in Charleston, West Virginia?

    The non-emergency contact number for the Charleston Police Department is 304-348-8111.

  • Where can I get a copy of police reports for incidents related to my case in Charleston, West Virginia?

    You may get a copy of the police report for incidents related to your case at the Charleston Police Department's Records Division, located on the Court Street side of City Hall at 501 Virginia Street.

  • What are the commonly reported crimes in Charleston?

    The most commonly reported crime in Charleston is theft, with a rate of 13.11 per 1,000 residents in a standard year. Other commonly reported crimes are vandalism, with a rate of 8.153, and burglary, with a rate of 3.019. Assault, drug crimes, identity theft, and arson also occur more than other criminal offenses.

  • What are the safest neighborhoods in Charleston?

    According to data culled from local law enforcement agencies, the safest neighborhoods in Charleston are Rocky Fork, Loudon Heights, Sissonville, South Hills West, and Derricks Creek. Other relatively safe areas in the metro include Tyler Heights, Guthrie, Blount, and Loudendale. In general, however, Charleston has one of the highest crime rates in the country for its size.

  • What is the criminal process for Charleston DUI charges?

    Following a DUI arrest in Charleston, the defendant will be arraigned and released from jail within 24 hours of their arrest. After the release, he or she will receive a hearing notice from the local municipal or magistrate court. Failure to appear at one’s hearing may lead to the issuing of bench warrants and many of one’s rights being waived.

  • How does Charleston penalize drug offenses?

    Possession of marijuana, which is the most common drug crime in Charleston, is punishable by up to six months in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000. Other drug crimes, such as the manufacturing, transport, distribution, and sale of illegal substances are considered felony offenses. The penalties are also increased if there is death or bodily injury involved.

  • Who investigates Charleston federal crimes?

    Depending on the nature of the crime, federal offenses in Charleston are investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service. These authorities often work together with prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charleston. Examples of federal crimes include fraud, tax evasion, and bribery.