Kelly Jurs
Former public defender with over 17 years of experience. Free Consultation!
Kelly A. Jurs is a dedicated legal advocate known for her ability to provide compassionate representation for clients experiencing upheaval in their lives. Whether a client is facing conflict within their own family, or even a criminal charge, Kelly ensures that her experience in the courtroom guides clients through the court system to the most beneficial outcomes.
With 15 years of litigation experience in the Chester County Court system, Kelly practices in Family Law and is a member of the Pennsylvania Council of Mediators. She handles all aspects of family law including pre- and post-nuptial planning, divorce, equitable distribution, alimony, child custody, property settlement, and related litigation and mediation.
Criminal Defense is an important part of Kelly’s practice. She is qualified in Pennsylvania to serve as defense counsel on capital cases. She represents counsel in felony and misdemeanor cases, from the filing of a criminal complaint through trial and post-trial review, on issues ranging from DUI, Possession, Theft, Assault and Drug Trafficking to First-Degree Homicide. Kelly also handles plea negotiations, treatment court resolutions, probation and parole violations as well as juvenile court.
Before entering private practice, Kelly made sure every voice was heard as an attorney at the Chester County Public Defender’s Office. She handled all aspects of felony and misdemeanor cases from the preliminary hearing to trial and through all stages of state appellate review. She also served as first chair for numerous jury trials, including first-degree homicide and more than 15 other felony trials.
A member of the Chester County Bar Association, Kelly was a moderator for the West Chester Mayoral Candidate Policing Forum ahead of the Fall 2021 election and served as a co-panelist for the Continuing Legal Education course “How You Can Uniquely Contribute to Nonprofit Boards for Lawyers.” Kelly is active in public service and her community.
- Domestic Violence
- Domestic Violence Criminal Defense, Domestic Violence Restraining Orders, Victims Rights
- Family Law
- Adoption, Child Custody, Child Support, Father's Rights, Prenups & Marital Agreements, Same Sex Family Law
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Appeals, Drug Crimes, Expungement, Fraud, Gun Crimes, Internet Crimes, Sex Crimes, Theft, Violent Crimes
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Free Consultation
Free initial 30 minute consultation. - Credit Cards Accepted
- Eastern District of Pennsylvania
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- Pennsylvania
- Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
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- 3rd Circuit
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- English: Spoken, Written
- Attorney
- Gawthrop Greenwood, PC
- - Current
- Practitioner in the Criminal Law, Family Law and Civil Litigation Groups. Dedicated legal advocate with over 15 years of litigation experience, known for her ability to provide compassionate representation for clients experiencing upheaval in their lives. Whether a client is facing conflict within their own family, or even a criminal charge, Kelly ensures that her experience in the courtroom guides clients through the court system to the most beneficial outcomes.
- Attorney
- Private Firm
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- Practitioner in the Business and Real Estate, as well as Family Law Groups. Handled a variety of matters relating to business and real estate, owner relationships, business formation, employment issues, real estate transactions, asset purchase agreements and trademark applications; represents individuals, businesses, public and private and non-profit entities; Handled a variety of family-law-related concerns in an efficient and empathetic manner, including pre-nuptial planning and agreements, post-nuptial agreements, divorce, equitable distribution, child custody, alimony, support, property settlement, and related litigation and mediation of issues.
- Assistant Public Defender
- Chester County Public Defender's Office
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- Handled all aspects of felony and misdemeanor cases from the preliminary hearing to trial and through all stages of state appellate review; First chair for numerous jury trials, including first-degree homicide and over 15 other felony trials; Capital Counsel Qualified under Pennsylvania Rule of Evidence 801
- Loyola University New Orleans
- J.D. | Law, International Studies
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- Immaculata College
- B.A. (2000) | English
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- Honors: cum laude; Immaculata Honor Society, Lambda Iota Tau Honor Society
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- Top Lawyer
- Main Line Today
- 2020-2022: Family Law
- Chester County Top Lawyer
- Daily Local News
- 2021-2022 Divorce and Family Law; Juvenile; Trial
- Five Star/Top Lawyer
- Suburban Life Magazine
- Top Ten Oralist in Eastern Region
- Phillip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition
- Pennsylvania Council of Mediators
- - Current
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- Chester County Bar Association
- - Current
- Activities: Membership Committee, Key Gala Committee, Stively Inn of Court, Board of Directors
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- Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- - Current
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- Mental Illness and Its Impact on Child Custody in the Wake of COVID-19
- The Legal Intelligencer
- The State Drug Treatment Program: An Overview and How It Can Affect Your Client's Sentence
- New Matter, Chester County Bar Association
- Ethics in Addiction
- Chester County Bar Association
- Presented by three experts in the fields of addiction, law, and financial services. The experts will provide the audience with the latest information about addiction and how it impacts the brain, key takeaways for attorneys particularly in Chester County, and how fiduciaries work to protect their clients as well as their institutions with addiction.
- The Importance of Serving on Non-Profit Organizations' Board of Directors, 2022 Spring Bench Bar Conference, The Desmond, Malvern, PA
- Chester County Bar Association
- Commonwealth v. Harris, A Discussion of the Superior Court's Ruling on the Use of Hearsay at a Preliminary Hearing, West Chester, PA
- Chester County Bar Association
- The CLE will cover the history of the case law on hearsay in Pennsylvania and how Harris has limited the prosecution’s use of hearsay at a preliminary hearing. I will discuss the impact of this decision on how defense attorneys approach cases where the Commonwealth has traditionally relied heavily on hearsay, such as sexual assault and abuse cases. I will also discuss how to address cases already past the preliminary hearing stage through pre-trial motions
- Q. How long does the court system have to bring you to court and sentence you for a criminal matter for 2019
- A: The short answer is, 365 days from the date of the filing of a criminal complaint. However, this does not include what the law describes as "excludable time" which could be time in a diversionary treatment program or continuance requests by defense counsel for investigation and trial preparation. In addition, many of the criminal courts in Pennsylvania experienced a shut down of their trial schedules during COVID which may also count as excludable time. It is important to review any orders handed down in your particular county regarding pauses in the conduct of criminal trials during COVID. If you have not already, you should consult with an experienced criminal defense attorney to ... Read More
