Inaugural post

I am a criminal defense attorney in Columbus, Ohio. I work at a mid-size firm (5 attorneys) that does nothing but defend people accused of crimes. We do a great deal of O.V.I. (drunk driving) work and handle a large volume of drug cases but will handle anything from a speeding ticket to a capital murder case. The name of the firm is Yavitch & Palmer for the founders Eric Yavitch and Steve Palmer. Eric left us tragically last year, but his name lives on at the firm that he helped to establish. I enjoy this work, although it is challenging to always be the underdog. We are a results-oriented firm, and are always looking to achieve the best outcome for our clients. It is frustrating though, to see people who are arguably innocent plead guilty to avoid the risk of a trial because they are faced with the daunting mechanisms of the State. As one of my favorite people Sir Winston Churchill said, "it is the worst system in the world, except for all the others." Over the days and weeks that follow I plan to talk about the state of the law in Ohio, and perhaps comment on the state, local and national political scenes as well as our interaction with the rest of the world.

When I am not lawyering I am a soldier in the Ohio National Guard. I have served for about 20 years and I am currently a 13F, Forward Observer in the 148th Infantry Regiment in Walbridge, Ohio. I was deployed for all of 2008 to Kuwait and Iraq where I commanded a convoy escort team guarding convoys from Kuwait to all of the major bases in Iraq. It was an honor to serve, and I was blessed to be with a great group of men who always looked out for one another, and continue to since our return. Prior to that I was deployed to the United Kingdom for a year in 2004 and went down to Mississippi for a few weeks for Hurricane Katrina recovery operations.

I have a wonderful family that I am proud to be a member of in Grove City, Ohio. I have been married to my lovely wife Jamie for 5 years, and I am looking forward to many more.