Ohio Criminal Defense Attorneys

The Firm's Criminal Defense Practice

Mark K. McCown and Brian M. Cremeans lead the firm's criminal defense practice. Both partners hold credentials that put them among the most technically prepared criminal-defense attorneys in Southern Ohio: National College for DUI Defense (NCDD) membership, NHTSA Field Sobriety Instructor certification, and ARIDE (Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement) training.

We defend the full range of Ohio criminal charges — from a first-time misdemeanor that needs a careful negotiation, to a felony in Common Pleas Court that needs a hard suppression motion, to an OVI fourth-offense felony that needs a defense team familiar with the science of breath, blood, and urine testing. For comprehensive information on the firm's criminal defense practice, visit our dedicated site at mfcdefender.com.

Charges We Defend

OVI / DUI — Our Dedicated Practice

OVI / DUI is the firm's primary criminal defense practice. We maintain a dedicated OVI defense site at mfcdui.com with comprehensive information on first-offense, repeat offense, felony OVI (F4 and F3), high-BAC enhancements, drug OVI, and CDL OVI. Our OVI footprint extends to nine Southern Ohio counties (Lawrence, Scioto, Jackson, Gallia, Athens, Adams, Meigs, Pike, Ross).

Aggravated Vehicular Homicide

Charges under R.C. §2903.06 — causing the death of another person while operating a motor vehicle — are among the most serious offenses in Ohio criminal law. Penalty severity turns on the underlying conduct:

• OVI-related death (operation while under the influence under R.C. §4511.19) — Felony of the second degree, mandatory prison of 2–8 years and a Class 1 lifetime driver's license forfeiture. With a prior OVI, vehicular-assault, or vehicular-homicide conviction, the charge enhances to a first-degree felony with a 3–11 year mandatory prison range.
• Reckless operation causing death — Felony of the third degree, prison range 9 months to 5 years and a Class 2 license suspension (3 years to life).
• Negligent operation in a construction zone causing death — Felony of the fourth or fifth degree depending on circumstances.

These cases sit at the intersection of OVI defense and felony homicide defense. The State's case typically rests on accident-reconstruction evidence, blood or breath testing, and witness statements — all of which we examine through the same NHTSA-trained, NCDD-credentialed lens we apply to standard OVI matters. If you or a family member is facing aggravated vehicular homicide charges, the time to involve counsel is immediately — before the first interview, before any statement, and well before the indictment.

Aggravated Vehicular Assault

Charges under R.C. §2903.08 — causing serious physical harm to another person while operating a motor vehicle — carry penalties that escalate sharply with the underlying conduct:

• OVI-related serious physical harm — Felony of the third degree with a presumption of prison and a Class 2 license suspension. With a prior OVI, vehicular-assault, or vehicular-homicide conviction, the charge enhances to a second-degree felony.
• Reckless operation causing serious physical harm — Felony of the fourth degree with a Class 3 license suspension.
• Construction-zone reckless or negligent variants — additional enhancements apply.

Aggravated vehicular assault cases combine OVI law, accident-reconstruction science, and felony sentencing exposure. The investigation often spans weeks or months between the event and the indictment, and what is said to investigators in those weeks frequently shapes the case. We pull every report, every video, every lab record — and we look hard at causation, the “serious physical harm” element, and any pre-indictment statements made without counsel present.

Drug Offenses

From simple possession of marijuana to felony trafficking in cocaine, methamphetamine, or fentanyl. Drug cases turn on the legality of the search and seizure that produced the evidence — and on the chain of custody from the scene to the lab. We pull and review every search warrant, every probable-cause affidavit, every lab report.

Theft Offenses

Misdemeanor petty theft, felony grand theft, theft from elderly or disabled persons (which carries enhancement), receiving stolen property, identity theft, credit-card theft, embezzlement, and white-collar theft. Theft convictions carry collateral consequences — civil liability, professional-license issues, employment impact — that often exceed the criminal sentence.

Assault & Domestic Violence

Misdemeanor assault, felonious assault, domestic violence (with the protective-order issues that come with it), aggravated menacing, and disorderly conduct. Domestic violence cases require careful work with the prosecutor and the alleged victim — and a clear understanding of how no-contact orders interact with custody and parenting time.

Weapons Charges

Carrying concealed weapon (CCW), improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, weapons under disability (felon in possession), discharge of a firearm. Ohio's gun statutes are dense and frequently amended — we stay current on the changes.

Traffic & Motor Vehicle Offenses

Driving under suspension, no operator's license, reckless operation, hit-and-skip, and leaving the scene of an accident. Many traffic charges carry mandatory license suspensions or jail terms that surprise first-time defendants. (For OVI-related vehicular homicide and vehicular assault charges, see the dedicated sections above.)

Felony Defense in Common Pleas

Felony cases move from Municipal Court to Common Pleas Court, where the discovery process, motion practice, and negotiation dynamics are entirely different. We have decades of combined experience in the felony courtrooms of Lawrence, Scioto, Jackson, Gallia, Athens, Adams, Meigs, Pike, and Ross Counties.

How a Criminal Defense Case Works

1. Initial Consultation. Call the firm to discuss your matter and confirm the right partner to handle it.
2. Discovery & Investigation. We pull police reports, dash-cam and body-cam video, lab reports, and any 911 calls. We identify the dispositive issues early.
3. Motion Practice. Where the facts support it, we file motions to suppress evidence (illegal stop, defective Miranda warnings, bad search warrants, lab problems) and motions in limine to limit what the prosecution can present at trial.
4. Negotiation. Most criminal cases resolve in pretrial — but only because the defense prepared as if trial was coming. Reductions, diversion programs, judicial release, and treatment alternatives are all options on the table when warranted.
5. Trial. When the State's offer doesn't match the strength of the defense, we try the case — bench trial or jury, in Municipal Court or Common Pleas.

The Stakes

A criminal conviction in Ohio carries direct penalties (jail or prison, fines, license suspension, probation) and collateral consequences (criminal record, employment impact, professional-license discipline, immigration consequences for non-citizens, federal background-check exposure). Some charges — OVI, sex offenses, domestic violence — cannot be expunged in Ohio, ever. The right defense at the right time often determines whether a charge becomes a permanent record.

Schedule a Consultation

Call (740) 532-8744 to schedule a consultation on your criminal matter. For OVI / DUI specifically — which the firm offers a free initial consultation for — please visit our dedicated site at mfcdui.com; the 30-day Administrative License Suspension hearing window is time-sensitive.