Significant Cases

Disclaimer: The cases listed below are cited for the purpose of illustration only. Nothing cited herein should be construed as a representation that a similar result can be achieved in any particular or similar case. 

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2009 Winston County - Defendant with two (2) prior felony convictions charged with Unlawful Manufacture of Meth in the First Degree. Defendant facing a possible life sentence. Motion to Suppress Evidence filed on basis of an unlawful search and seizure. Case dismissed at the hearing.

2008 Jefferson County - Bessemer Division - Defendant charged with Trafficking in Cocaine after 41 grams of crack cocaine was discovered at her residence during the execution of a search warrant. A Motion to Suppress Evidence on various constitutional grounds was granted. Case dismissed.

2008 Calhoun County - Defendant charged with Assault in the First Degree after he left a bar, traveling on the wrong side of a divided highway. The defendant collided with an oncoming motorist who was seriously injured. Defendant told the officer at the scene that he had been drinking. Case dismissed.

2008 Shelby County - Defendant charged with felony Driving Under the Influence. Defendant's court-appointed lawyer advised defendant that case was hopeless and that he should plead guilty and serve 8 years in prison. Defendant hired Simms & Associates just hours before he was to appear in court to enter his plea. Case was later settled with a plea of guilty to misdemeanor DUI. Defendant is to serve 60 days in the county jail, consecutive weekends.

2008 Jefferson County -  Circuit Court-Bessemer Division-Defendant charged with felony DUI/ Driving Under the Influence (8^th offense), Reckless Driving and Driving While Revoked. According to police records, the defendant side-swiped another vehicle and then fled the scene. The defendant's vehicle was clocked by police radar traveling at 106 mph. Breath result of .13. All charges dismissed.

2007 Jefferson County - Bessemer Division - Defendant charged with felony Assault in the First Degree and Driving Under the Influence following an auto accident in which defendant attempted a left turn in front of an oncoming vehicle. A child suffered a serious physical injury in the accident. The arresting officer stated that the defendant failed field sobriety tests. Defendant was taken to a hospital where a blood sample was taken, indicating she had a blood alcohol content of .18. Prosecution's offer was to recommend a sentence of (5) five years in prison upon a plea of guilty to felony Assault in the Second Degree with application for probation. As trial neared, defense counsel raised serious questions about the reliability and admissibility of the blood evidence. The prosecution finally agreed to accept a plea to misdemeanor Assault in the Third Degree with dismissal of the Driving Under the Influence charge and (40) forty hours of community service.

2007 Lamar County - Defendant pleaded guilty to Attempting to Elude Police and Reckless Endangerment. As part of his plea agreement, he agreed to serve (60) sixty days in jail. After his plea, he hired Simms & Associates to try to postpone, if not eliminate, the custodial portion of his sentence. An appeal was filed with the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, arguing that the defendant's plea was not knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily made. The Court of Criminal Appeals reversed the conviction. The prosecution appealed to the Alabama Supreme Court who affirmed the reversal of the conviction. Upon return to court the (60) sixty day jail sentence was suspended. The defendant is to serve (2) two years on unsupervised probation.

2007 Talladega County - Commercial driver charged with speeding and DUI while leaving the 2006 Talladega 500 in his private vehicle. Breath result of .15. Both charges dismissed upon motion of the defense. Approximately forty other defendants charged with DUI leaving the race that evening pleaded guilty without hiring an attorney.

2007 Jefferson County - Defendant charged with assaulting an employee at a local landfill. Victim testified that the defendant grabbed him by the throat, making it difficult to breath, and threw victim to the ground, causing neck and back injuries. Defense argued that the victim was malingering to collect workers' compensation benefits and pursue a lawsuit against the defendant and that the facts amount only to harassment, not assault. Court could not find defendant guilty of harassment as charge is not a lesser included offense of assault. Defendant found not guilty.

2006 Jefferson County - 18-year-old male charged with two counts of manslaughter and unlawful possession of a controlled substance after his car crossed the median of I-20 and collided with an oncoming motorist. Defendant's passenger and driver of oncoming vehicle were killed in the crash. Defendant was denied Youthful Offender status. Prosecution offered plea agreement of 20 split 5 years to serve upon a plea of guilty to both manslaughter counts. Offer declined on advice of counsel and case tried to a jury. Witnesses for the prosecution testified that defendant was driving approximately 90 mph and weaving through traffic. An accident reconstructionist hired by the defense hypothesized that the defendant lost control of his vehicle after another motorist struck the defendant's rear quarter panel, causing defendant to lose control. Jury unable to reach a unanimous verdict resulting in a mistrial. As retrial approached, court granted Youthful Offender status. Defendant then accepted plea requiring him to attend boot camp. 

2005 Jefferson County, Bessemer Division - Defendant charged with domestic violence. At trial, a deputy sheriff testified that defendant's girlfriend told sheriff defendant had assaulted her. The defense objected on the basis that the statement was hearsay and thus inadmissible. The judge initially overruled the objection. The defense then submitted a written brief to the court. On the basis of that brief, the judge dismissed the case.

2005 Blount County - Defendant charged with DUI after admitting to an officer that she had been drinking. Prior to trial, the defense served the District Attorney with a 13-page discovery motion, to which the prosecution failed to respond. The judge granted defense motion to dismiss.
 
2005 Shelby County - Defendant charged with Driving a Commercial Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol. At jury trial, prosecution alleged that an 18-wheeler driven by defendant had struck several new vehicles in a car dealership's parking lot. A breath result of .15% was admitted into evidence. The jury returned a verdict of guilty. Defendant's post-trial Motion for Judgment of Acquittal granted.

2004 Jefferson County - Defendant charged with Driving Under the Influence and Failure to Provide Proof of Insurance after rear-ending another vehicle. Client admitted drinking alcohol to the investigating officer. Client submitted to breath alcohol testing with a result of .16%. Motion for Judgment of Acquittal on both charges granted.

2003 Jefferson County - Plaintiff charged with two counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. At trial, a confidential informant testified that he had purchased narcotics from the defendant on numerous occasions. The defense argued that the informant was lying and had framed the defendant in exchange for leniency in his own drug possession case. Jury found defendant not guilty on both counts.

2003 Tuscaloosa County - Defendant charged with unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. At trial, a confidential informant testified that he purchased narcotics from the defendant. The transaction was audio taped and played for the jury. The defense argued that the hand-to-hand transaction was actually made with another individual in defendant's apartment. Jury found defendant not guilty of distribution and guilty of unlawful possession. Defendant placed on probation.

2002 Jefferson County - Defendant charged with theft of property and receiving stolen property. The defense argued that the property was not stolen, that it had actually been loaned to the defendant by the victim. Jury found the defendant not guilty on both charges.

2002 Chilton County - Defendant charged with leaving the scene of an accident with injuries. Pre-trial offer from District Attorney was a 15-year prison sentence upon a plea of guilty. Defendant's written confession was admitted into evidence at trial. The defense located a witness that said a female matching the description of defendant's girlfriend was driving the car at the time of the accident. The defense argued that the defendant falsely confessed to the crime to protect his girlfriend. When the jury indicated they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict, the defendant was offered a plea to a misdemeanor offense and was immediately placed on unsupervised probation.

2002 Jefferson County - Felony (4th) DUI. Dismissed at preliminary hearing upon motion of the defense.

2001 Jefferson County - Defendant charged with robbery, theft of property, kidnapping, and menacing. Pre-trial offer was a 5-year prison sentence. After rigorous cross-examination of the state's key witness at trial, the prosecution agreed to a plea of guilty to theft, and all other charges were dismissed. Defendant granted probation.

2001 Jefferson County - Attempted murder. Dismissed before trial upon motion of the defense.