Practice Areas

Defending Clients Against Criminal Charges In Charleston, South Carolina

The Law Offices of Gedney M. Howe, III, P.A., defends clients who have been charged with criminal matters in local, state and federal courts.

The firm has a reputation in the Charleston area for securing favorable results for high-profile cases.

Mr. Howe, III, represented South Carolina Representative Tim Wilkes in U.S. v. Wilkes, where Mr. Wilkes was the only indicted legislator found not guilty in the FBI sting Operation Lost Trust. He also represented Thomas Ravenel in the cocaine charges against the South Carolina Treasurer in 2007.

Understanding South Carolina Criminal Trials

When a person is accused of a crime in South Carolina, the accused has certain rights — the procedure surrounding criminal charges is intended to support a presumption of innocence.

If there are elements of the procedure that are not carried out properly, then an attorney can leverage those mistakes on behalf of the accused. Often, there are flaws in evidence presented to the court or holes in testimony on which the prosecutor relies.

The right lawyer works to find these weaknesses in the prosecutorial argument and, when that is not possible, finds a way to negotiate the best plea bargain possible.

If the accused does stand trial, the plea options are guilty, not guilty, and nolo contendere, or no contest. Determining how to plead depends on the facts of each case, what evidence exists, and the history of the accused.

The Law Offices of Gedney M. Howe, III, P.A., works to ensure that the best results occur as often as possible.