Best Criminal Lawyer in Raleigh
Michael F. Schilawski
Criminal Lawyer
Michael F. Schilawski is a partner at Wake Family Law Group. He is a native of Wisconsin, but has resided in Cary, North Carolina since 1965.
Mike was admitted to practice in North Carolina in 1982, after having received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1971, a master’s degree in education from North Carolina State University in 1976 and a Juris Doctor degree from Campbell University in 1982. While in law school, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Campbell Law Review. Prior to attending law school, Mike was employed for seven years as a public secondary school teacher, coach, guidance counselor and assistant principal.
John Fanney
Criminal Lawyer
When I was only 12, my uncle was arrested and charged with murder, and an event like that changes you. When people accuse your close family member of being evil, it affects how you go through life. I say that I didn’t always know I wanted to be a lawyer, but subconsciously I knew. I am fundamentally a different person because of what happened to my family as a child, which means that I didn’t take my decision to go to law school – and ultimately become a criminal defense lawyer – lightly.
Through most of the law school, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a trial lawyer, but a professor in one of my trial practice courses drew me aside. At the time, she was the head of the Office of the Public Defender in her county. She told me that I should be a criminal defense lawyer. Why? Other than the obvious – we need more women practicing law – it’s because there can be a qualitative difference when you bring a personal perspective to the table. Having a family member who has been through the criminal system, I understand that a person accused of a crime is more than just a name and a criminal charge. A person accused of a crime has a family, a history, and a story that needs to be understood. I saw myself using my experience to make a mark here.
From that point on, I took every opportunity there was to both excel in law school (I graduated in the top 25% of my class) and to get actual criminal law experience inside the courtroom (I completed internships with the District Attorney’s Offices of both Mecklenburg County and Rockingham County). More importantly, however, I learned how to show a judge and a jury that my clients are more than just the elements of a criminal charge.
A jury may need to hear my client’s story to decide if he committed a crime. A judge may need to hear my client’s story to decide on an appropriate sentence. Either way, they see me standing with this person and telling his story. He may have been charged with a sex offense, or possession of child pornography, or conspiracy to distribute drugs, but now he is seen less as a villain and more as a human being. Perhaps this person is not quite as terrible as the government and media have made him out to be. Whether it’s a judge or a jury making the decision, I am not afraid to stand with him and fight for him.
Christopher Detwiler
Criminal Lawyer
He attended college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As an undergraduate, he majored in philosophy and political science, and graduated with honors.
After college, he moved to Washington, D.C. where he worked as a staff member for a Congressman and then a Senator. Chris later returned to Chapel Hill where he earned his Juris Doctor at the University of North Carolina School of Law. During his time in law school, he served on the staff of the North Carolina Law Review, and through his service, he published a piece on a complex criminal law issue. He also worked for a federal district court judge after his first year and the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office after his second year.
During his time as a law student, Chris developed a passion for representing the rights of those individuals who have been accused of committing criminal offenses. As an attorney licensed to practice law in North Carolina, Chris now devotes his professional life to the service of these individuals, always hoping to make the best out of a bad situation.
He is happily married to Wake County District Court Judge Sam Hamadani, and they both share a passion for the law. In his free time, Chris enjoys spending time with his daughters, playing soccer, golfing, skiing, card games and cooking.
Ben Hiltzheimer
Criminal Lawyer
Ben is an experienced trial lawyer with over 15 years of litigation experience exclusively in the realm of criminal defense. He earned his law degree from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He was trained in trial practice at the nation’s preeminent Public Defender agency, the federally funded Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, described by United States Attorney General Eric Holder as “the best public defender office in the country.”
From 2006 to 2011, Ben served as an attorney at the Public Defender Service, including two years in a litigation role focusing on complex forensics and systemic criminal justice issues in partnership with the Innocence Project, prior to transitioning that experience into the role of trial attorney. In his capacity as trial attorney at the Public Defender Service, he represented indigent individuals charged with felonies in the District of Columbia, from their initial appearance in Superior Court through trial. He has a proven track record of achieving excellent results in front of juries and judges, and is committed to advocacy on behalf of his clients in the face of the substantial power of state and federal governments. Ben has devoted his entire legal career to representing individuals, and has never worked for the other side.
Ben currently lives with his wife and three children in Carrboro.
Memberships
- North Carolina Advocates for Justice
- Criminal Defense Section Member
- 16th Judicial District Bar Association
Experience
- Owner/Managing Partner: Hiltzheimer Law Office, PLLC, 2011-Present
- Staff Attorney, Trial Division: The Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, 2008-2011
- Special Litigation and Forensics Fellow (Attorney), The Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, 2006-2008
Steven Saad
Criminal Lawyer
Saad Law is led by Steven Saad, a Raleigh and Wake County criminal attorney with years of legal experience as both a defender of the accused and a former Wake County prosecutor. He is passionate about representing the people of his community that have unfortunately found themselves in the criminal system. Steven is motivated by only one thing: getting the best result in his cases regardless of how much time or energy it may take.
Steven is a Wake County native and graduate of Campbell Law School who has focused his entire career on criminal cases in Raleigh and the surrounding towns. His family immigrated to Raleigh from Egypt to start a family-based business and, through their experiences, instilled in Steven the values and work ethic he has carried into his criminal defense practice.
While in law school Steven served as an intern in the both the Wake County District Court Judges’ Office and Wake County District Attorney’s Office and earned the privilege to try criminal cases under supervision before graduating.
That experience resulted in him being hired as a Wake County Assistant District Attorney where he tried a range of criminal cases from traffic offenses and DWIs to serious felonies such as robbery and murder. Part of his job involved assessing felony cases, including reviewing evidence and interviewing witnesses, to determine whether charges should be filed.
During his years as a Wake County District Attorney, Steven prosecuted tens of thousands of criminal cases, giving him unparalleled insight into the criminal court process in Wake County. In his career as a prosecutor, Steve held numerous positions including:
District Court Supervisor, managing attorney in charge of all misdemeanor prosecutions;
- Special DWI Prosecutor;
- Special Probation Violation Prosecutor;
- Special Misdemeanor Appeals Prosecutor;
- Felony Drug Unit Prosecutor.
John McWilliam
Criminal Lawyer
Born in Argentina, the son of a Scottish Father and an American Mother, John McWilliam’s family moved to England when he was eight. He was educated in England and Scotland. At the age of 19, John moved to North Carolina.
After dropping out of the University of Denver, John moved back to North Carolina and graduated from North Carolina State University in 1988. Two years later, after realizing that his corporate job wasn’t for him, John enrolled in North Carolina Central University’s School of Law. Central’s commitment to diversity, its strong clinic-centered approach to teaching and reputation for producing exceptional courtroom lawyers made it the perfect fit for John. He knew he wanted to be a trial lawyer. That was 1990. Three years later, he graduated with his law degree and passed the bar.
1993 was a terrible year for anyone looking for a job. So, working out of his home and painting houses to make ends meet, John began representing anyone who was willing to take a chance on him. What he lacked in experience John made up for in passion. It soon became apparent to him that his passion was for criminal defense. And it still is.
Criminal Defense, insists John, is the one area of the law that keeps the government in check, keeps the police honest, keeps all of us free, and keeps the Bill of Rights alive and relevant. It’s the area of the law that strives to maintain the ideals of Democracy, equality and liberty that the Founders of this country fought and died for.
Andy Green
Criminal Lawyer
I understand that you would rather not have to come to me for help. Nobody wants to have to deal with a DUI or other criminal charges. I can’t undo what has happened, however, I can make dealing with it much easier.
When I represent you, you can be sure that a true professional is advocating on your behalf. I am well-spoken which is important because I represent you in dealing with the legal system. I will keep the lines of communication open during your case. Correspondingly, I will make sure to return phone calls and reply to e-mails as quickly as possible. I will do what you ask me to do and give you guidance on what I believe to be the best course of action. My job as your attorney is to do everything possible to obtain the best outcome. Furthermore, my commitment to ethical representation and hard work has earned me the respect of others in the courtroom.
In the event that your case does require a trip to court, I have the courtroom experience you need. Before I opened my law practice, I worked for the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office. In that position, the courtroom was my home, and trial became second nature to me. Additionally, as a Portland DUI attorney, I’ve successfully argued, and obtained not guilty verdicts in courtrooms all over the state.
Contact my law firm Andy Green Attorney at Law. P.C., for a free consultation to discuss your case. You can also call or send me an e-mail through this website. From my office in the World Trade Center in downtown Portland, I represent clients in Multnomah County, Clackamas County, Washington County, and communities throughout Oregon.
J. Alex Marshall
Criminal Lawyer
Joseph Alexander “Alex” Marshall is a 2015 graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law at Chapel Hill and earned his undergraduate cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Alex is an AV Preeminent Peer Rated Lawyer at Martindale Hubbell, he is recognized by North Carolina Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars, Best Lawyers in America’s Ones to Watch, and Business North Carolina Legal Elite. He is a member of the North Carolina State Bar, the North Carolina Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Wake County Bar Association, the 10th Judicial District Bar where he serves as a member of the Grievance Committee, and the National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 and the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40. He is admitted to practice in all North Carolina courts, and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. He joined the criminal defense section of the firm in 2021 and became a partner in 2024.
Prior to entering the private sector, Alex served for nearly six years as a Wake County Assistant Public Defender. Over that time he gained an unparalleled level of experience handling thousands of cases ranging from DUI and traffic matters to murder. He approaches his trial practice with focused consistency and is a dedicated and fearless advocate for his clients.
Alex says, “People accused of crimes often need someone to walk through a journey with them that may feel shameful or frightening who can provide a different perspective on that self-view. They need to know someone is in their corner that they believe will fight for them when they need it most.”
The son of ministers, Alex, too, is a licensed minister drawn to service through gratitude. He lives in Durham with his wife and kids, and their tightly knit family group all close by. He is a physical fitness enthusiast and athlete, soccer and basketball youth coach, and a DIY builder hobbyist.
When a Violent Felony Dismissed
When a violent felony is dismissed, it means that the charges against the individual are formally dropped by the court. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as insufficient evidence, a successful legal defense, procedural errors, or a plea deal. Once a violent felony is dismissed, the accused is no longer under prosecution for that specific crime, and the case is closed without a conviction.
Key Considerations
Impact on Criminal Record: Although the charges are dismissed, the record of the arrest or charge may still appear on the individual’s criminal record. In some cases, the individual may be eligible to have the record expunged, which would remove the charge from public view.
Future Legal Implications: A dismissal does not equate to a finding of innocence. While the case is dropped, the charges could potentially be refiled if new evidence emerges or if the dismissal was based on a procedural technicality. It’s important to understand the specific reason for the dismissal in each case.
Restoration of Rights: For individuals whose rights were impacted by the felony charges—such as the right to vote, own firearms, or hold certain professional licenses—the dismissal of the charges may not automatically restore those rights. In some instances, additional legal steps may be required to fully restore these rights, especially in cases involving violent crimes.
Civil Consequences: Although criminal charges may be dismissed, an individual could still face civil lawsuits related to the same incident. For example, a person may be sued for damages in civil court, even if the criminal charges were dropped.
Expungement After Dismissal
In many jurisdictions, individuals can apply to have the dismissed charge expunged from their criminal record. This process involves petitioning the court to seal the record, preventing it from appearing in background checks or other public records. Expungement laws vary by state, so it’s advisable to consult a legal expert to determine eligibility and the process for expungement after a dismissal.
Conclusion
A violent felony dismissal offers significant relief for those facing serious criminal charges, but it does not always guarantee a clean slate. Understanding the implications of the dismissal, including potential next steps for clearing your record and restoring your rights, is crucial for moving forward. Legal advice is recommended to ensure all opportunities for full legal restoration are explored.