North Carolina Criminal Lawyers

Howard Cummings is a tenured criminal litigator who brings a wealth of knowledge, resources, and insight into the criminal defense team at Tharrington Smith.

Howard served as Deputy Assistant District Attorney for Wake County for nearly three decades. During his tenure at the DA’s office, he handled thousands of criminal matters and became known for fairness and compassion, which he displayed to victims and offenders alike. Upon his retirement from the District Attorney’s office in late 2018, Governor Roy Cooper bestowed to him fellowship in the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in recognition of his service to the state.

Howard...

I am married with 3 children. I was raised in WV by two wonderful parents. My dad worked in a glass factory, and later after it closed, an aerospace manufacturer. I know the value of a hard earned dollar and maintain low fees to help everyone. I have experience in all aspects of criminal law including DWI, Speeding, various misdemeanors and felonies. I also handle employment law, personal injury and worker's compensation. I enjoy mediating divorce/custody cases and doing adoptions. I have vast experience with Domestic violence cases all over the western part...

Kevin E. Heckart was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1961. After graduating from Wentworth Military Academy he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves in the Spring of 1979. Kevin then continued to serve in the USMCR achieving the rank of Corporal while attending Drake University (B.A. – 1983). Before graduating from college, Kevin was accepted into the PLC program for prospective Marine Officers, completed the training and was Commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in May, 1983.
After college Kevin attended Drake Law School (J.D. – 1985) and, upon graduation, the Basic School for Marine Officers in Quantico, Virginia and further...

Graduated from Rocky Mount Senior High School (1997), Wake Forest University (2001), and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law (2005). In 2006, appointed Assistant Prosecutor for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. In 2007, named Outstanding Prosecutor for WNC by the Western North Carolina Crime Victims' Coalition. In 2008, opened law office dedicated solely to fighting to protect the constitutional and other legal rights of all people facing charges or allegations in state or tribal court. Currently represents enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in all types of Cherokee Tribal...

I am a Board Certified Specialist by the North Carolina State Bar in both State Criminal Law and Federal Criminal Law. Multiple times I have been selected by Super Lawyers and by Business North Carolina Magazine as Legal Elite. Also, I have selected by peer review in Best Lawyers in America in 2 different categories - White Collar Criminal Defense and Non-White Collar Criminal Defense. I have been practicing law since 1978 and seen just about every kind of case and client.

I am a State Bar Councilor at The North Carolina State Bar (the regulatory agency of all lawyers in...

Attorney Justin Nichols practices family, personal injury, and criminal law in Chatham, Orange, Durham, and Wake Counties. He joined Averett Family Law in 2012, after practicing in the fields of personal injury defense, workers’ compensation, and complex construction litigation.

Justin has extensive experience in the courtroom litigating cases, as well as helping clients negotiate out-of-court settlements. He has handled cases before state administrative agencies, the state superior and district courts, the North Carolina Justin Nichols Associate Attorney Pittsboro Siler City Court of Appeals, and the federal district court.

Justin graduated cum laude from Campbell University School of Law in Raleigh, North Carolina,...

There are moments when society changes in a massive way. The invention of the printing press, for example, or when man first stepped on the moon. But many of the most important changes are far less exciting. The invention of the refrigerator completely reshaped the destiny of mankind. Now, with the relaxing laws surrounding the use of marijuana, we are experiencing another important step forward for mankind. Marijuana has proven, over and over again, to be a substance with the potential to affect the world in a positive way. But it is also a new industry, one that is rather...

Education:
Emory University (BA in Political Science, 2002)
Campbell University (J.D., 2007)
-SBA representative
-Honor Court Justice
-Dean of Delta Theta Phi
-Moot Court Team
-ATLA Trial Team

Professional Memberships:
North Carolina State Bar
Judicial District 19A Bar
North Carolina Bar Association
North Carolina Advocates for Justice (formerly North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers)
American Bar Association
American Association for Justice (formerly American Trial Lawyers Association)

Family:
Married to fellow attorney and former law partner: Luke Baker
Two children: Garrett and Audrey
Two dogs: Phoebe and...

Quit cryin, call OBryan

James is a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Federal and State Criminal Law and Family Law with a trial practice in criminal, domestic, and general litigation. He is deeply committed to excellence and professionalism in the practice of law, having served on the North Carolina State Bar Specialization Criminal Law Committee, the North Carolina State Bar Board of Continuing Legal Education, and was Issue Planning Editor of the Law Review at Regent University. James also lectures at criminal, family law, and trial practice continuing legal education (CLE) programs, and is regularly designated by the Capital Defender as lead counsel...

Thomas W. Smothers offers the necessary expertise to negotiate with the State regarding your charges. When prosecutors are forced to deal with our firm, they realize that we have what it takes to go to trial. Keeping this in mind, Attorney Smothers is always able to negotiate from a position of strength.

Experienced Trial Attorney. Honest and Dependable and ready to help in your time of need. Effective representation at reasonable rates.

Corry has a strong work ethic that was instilled in him at a very young age by his family and he has carried that with him into law practice. Soon after becoming licensed Corry was able to fulfill a life-long dream of opening a law firm. In December 2012 the Brannen Law Firm was born. Corry primary practice areas include wills and estate planning, criminal law, bankruptcy law, veteran affairs disability, and civil litigation. Within the criminal law practice Corry works cases ranging from traffic matters to felony jury trials. Corry does most of the wills and estate planning in...

Kelly was born and raised in North Carolina, and currently lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina with her wife and daughter. Kelly has worked with the seriously mentally ill, at risk youth, troubled families, domestic violence aggressors and victims and as an intake counselor for a four county area in NC. She has extensive training as a mediator As an attorney, she has represented defendants with serious felony offenses through negotiated pleas or jury trials to verdict. She has represented a wide variety of clients in negotiated and litigated family law matters and believes that negotiation should always be pursued...

With an engineering degree and MBA, I started my career as an in-house consultant in the aerospace industry. After a few years I transitioned to engineering and consulting positions in other industries. Eventually I returned to college for a law degree and have been a courtroom lawyer for more than 20 years.

Mr. Wilson is a member of the Durham County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers. He serves as a board member of the Large Law Firm Management Section of the North Carolina Bar Association. He is admitted to practice before the following courts: All North Carolina State Courts United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina United States District Court for...

Bryan is the Managing Partner at Harbinson, Brzykcy & Corbett, LLP, located in his hometown of Statesville, North Carolina, and serves citizens in an around Iredell and Alexander counties. Bryan's areas of practice include traffic violations, DWI arrests, criminal defense, family law, personal injury, estate planning, and business/civil litigation. Bryan takes enormous pride in his community and looks forward to continuing to enrich the lives of friends and neighbors in the months and years ahead.

Matthew attended North Carolina State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2006 with a Juris Doctorate. He is a partner at Gottholm, Ralston and Benton, PLLC since the firm’s inception in 2014, and was a partner at The Law Offices of Benton & Welborn, PLLC from 2006 until 2011, and The Law Offices of Gottholm, Welborn and Benton, PLLC from 2012-2013. Matthew’s practice primarily focuses on family law, criminal law and civil litigation. Matthew is an experienced litigator, and tries...

Chris is not the type of attorney who wants to collect the fee, plead guilty, and move on to the next case. He is a criminal defense attorney because he cares about people who have been accused, he enjoys taking cases to trial when necessary, and he loves winning. He is ready, willing, and able to represent you in any criminal, traffic, or DWI case for anything from a minor speeding ticket to a serious felony. The process of retaining him starts with scheduling a free initial consultation. You make the call, and he will handle the rest.

Graduated UNC-Chapel Hill with BS degree in Industrial Relations in 1974; Graduated in Charter Class of Campbell University School of Law in 1979; Assistant District Attorney 4th Judicial District 1979-84. Private Practice of Law 1984-present. Primary Area of Practice: Criminal Defense; DWI; Driver's License Restoration. Licensed Real Estate Broker since 1974.

David Gross graduated from Lakeview High School in St. Clair Shores, Michigan in 1992 where he was on the football and swimming team. David graduated Summa Cum Laude from Mount Olive College in Mount Olive, N.C. with a B.S. in Criminal Justice. David attended the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill where he was a member of the International Law Journal. After serving in both the Air and Army National Guard, David became a Rocky Mount N.C. Police Officer in 1998. David Gross performed all aspects of law enforcement including writing traffic citations,...

L. Bryan Smith’s primary practice areas are family law, criminal defense, and personal injury. He is proud of his dedication and responsiveness to clients. Bryan attended Francis Marion College in Florence, South Carolina, earning a degree in political science. He then matriculated to Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law for his juris doctor which he earned cum laude. After law school, Bryan was the founding member of a local law firm until he joined The Law Group as a partner.

Christian was born and raised in Indiana and attended Indiana University in Bloomington where he received a degree in Philosophy and Political Science. During college, Christian worked as a wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management in the summers. Christian then attended the University of Montana School of Law in Missoula. While attending law school, Christian interned with Justice Goff of the Indiana Supreme Court and the Federal Defenders of Montana. It was both of these experiences that inspired Christian’s passion for criminal defense. Upon receiving his J.D., he moved to Wilmington and began...

I have my Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Miami, and my Juris Doctor from Thomas Cooley Law School where I was on the Dean's List, Honor Roll, and made the Law Review. I am a veteran from the United States Army. I worked for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company as a Senior Claims Adjuster handling Workers' Compensation, automobile and motorcycle accidents, and other insurance claims.

David B. Collins, Jr. grew up all over North and South Carolina, mostly in Charlotte and Myrtle Beach. He attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in Biology in 1986. In 1993 Mr. Collins graduated with a Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from the University of South Carolina at Columbia and was admitted to practice law in North Carolina and South Carolina and Federal Courts.

Mr. Collins has been licensed to practice law in both North and South Carolina since 1993. In 1995, he moved to the Wilmington...

Mr. Kistler is dedicated to serving the people of Carteret and Craven County in both criminal and domestic matters. In law school, Mr. Kistler graduated fifth in his class, Summa Cume Laude. Before law school, Mr. Kistler was a member of the Crystal Coast community for many years where he worked as a sports writer for the Carteret County News-Times.

Over the years, Mr. Thomas has earned a reputation for being one of the best military defense attorneys in the country because of his successes litigating and trying some of the most highly publicized military cases. Mr. Thomas focuses on defending clients at court-martials, as well as, administrative separation hearings in the military justice system. Mr. Thomas also represents clients facing state and federal criminal charges in North Carolina. What sets Mr. Thomas apart is that he has experience from every angle in the courtroom and the ability to try any case that comes across his desk. Before starting his...

Rodney attended North Carolina State University and graduated cum laude with honors in 1991 with a degree in Political Science with a Criminal Justice concentration. He then obtained his Juris Doctor at the Wake Forest University School of Law in 1995. While at Wake Forest, Rodney was the Captain of the International and Constitutional Law Moot Court teams which won several awards in inter-school competition. Rodney joined the Buncombe County District Attorney's office in 1995 and worked as an Assistant District Attorney until 2009. While there, he tried over 160 jury trials, including capital murder, adult and child sex offenses, armed...

Kelly L. Greene was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. Kelly attended high school at Woodberry Forest School in Virginia. He attended Wake Forest University where he earned a B.A. in English in 1996. He attended law school at Campbell University and received a J.D. in 1999. Kelly was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar in 1999. Kelly is a member of the Craven County Bar Association, serving as its President in 2003-2004. He is a member of the United States Eastern District of North Carolina, Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the North Carolina Bar Association, and North Carolina Advocates for...

Personal Injury Attorney? Check. Criminal Lawyer? Check. Military Lawyer? Check. A trial lawyer for over 40 years, Mr. Slaughter has vast experience in personal injury law, civil law, and criminal trial practice. He began his legal career in 1979 as a prosecutor in the office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Norfolk, Virginia. He rose to the position of Chief Deputy before entering the private practice of law in North Carolina in 1989. Following about 15 years of trial work in private practice, he returned to the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office in 2004 as the Chief Deputy prosecutor and later served as the interim...