I have represented a wide variety of clients in my time. I have represented national banks and Fortune 500 companies. I have been the attorney for wealthy individuals fighting through lengthy contested divorce actions. However, I am also proud to have represented penniless individuals who just needed an attorney to fight for them. In my criminal practice, I have represented some of the most notorious alleged killers in Florida history.
I am particularly proud of my representation of a young man falsely accused of the gruesome stabbing death of a woman in Charlotte County, Florida. My client, Shawn Malsky, was a neighbor of the slain woman. After a year of trying to find the killer, the detectives arrested Shawn for the crime. Shawn spent over two years in jail, represented by a public defender. Eventually, I was appointed by the judge to take over Shawn's case from the public defender. Within a few short months, I developed the facts which conclusively proved that Shawn was out of the county at the time of the killing, and was completely innocent. As the day of trial approached, the prosecutors put my alibi witnesses on a lie detector, and took other steps to confirm the facts that I had discovered about Shawn's defense. The prosecutors became convinced that Shawn had not killed the victim, and he was exonerated and released from jail. The terrible crime is still unsolved. The cold case file is here, and other articles about the case may be seen here. I can honestly say that Shawn was on his way to death row before I came along and started work on his case. Remember, not everyone arrested for a crime is guilty!
I represented Dan Conahan, accused serial killer, nicknamed the "Hog Trail Killer" by the press. Dan's version of the events, published by him years ago online, may be found here. For some rather sensationalist articles about this case, see here, here, here and here. A video about the case may be seen. The Conahan case was featured on CourtTV, and still shows up on television on late night true crime documentaries. I also represented James "Jimbo" Ford after he was accused of killing a young mother and father, and leaving their infant child in an open truck overnight in a Florida pasture. DNA evidence seemed to conclusively tie Jimbo to the murders and he was convicted. Jimbo has been a suspect in other deaths, but has never been charged with them.
I represented Roderick Washington of Ft. Myers, Florida, who was allegedly a member of the local Cash Feenz gang. Roderick was accused of two counts of first degree murder, and other charges, relating to a gang torture killing of two young men. Our first trial ended in a hung jury, but Roderick was convicted in the second trial. Both trials were carried live on television, and riveted the people of Southwest Florida for weeks as the trial progressed.
After all these years of practice, nothing means more to me than the folder full of thank you letters and cards I have received from grateful clients. I do my best for the people I represent; that is my job, and I love it.
Closing Arguments to the Jury