Criminal Defense in Hamilton County Courts
Our office only represents clients who are charged in Hamilton County Courts, Cincinnati Ohio. As a former prosecutor for the City of Cincinnati, Jon Sinclair is familiar with the judges, prosecutors, and the procedures of Hamilton County courts.

Arraignment and Bond:
The first step in a Cincinnati criminal case is the arraignment.  This is when your attorney will ask the judge to set a reasonable bond in your case that will allow you tostay out of jail while the case is pending.  In a criminal case, you will likely be arraigned in Room A of the Justice Center or Room 121 of the Main Courthouse, in Cincinnati.

Pretrial:
The next court date is a pre-trial. This pre-trial will be held in the Main Courthouse, located at Main and Court Street in Cincinnati.  The purpose of the pre-trial is for your attorney to begin discussions with the judge and prosecutor about the case.  This is when you and your attorney decide to set the case for trial or prepare a settlement that involves a guilty or no-contest plea.

Discovery:
You have a right to know the evidence that will be used by the prosecutor.  Therefore, under Criminal Rule 16, you are entitled to file a motion which directs the prosecutor to give you a list of all the evidence in the case, a list of witnesses, and any other information which can show you are not guilty of the charges.

Evidence:
You have a right to any evidence from the prosecutor which may negate your guilt, lead to the suppression evidence, or result in the dismissal of the indictment. Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963). This means you are entitled to statements of witnesses, which are favorable to your defense. You are also entitled to the criminal record of the prosecutor's witnesses and any evidence which would affect their credibility. U.S. v. Quinn, 364 F. Supp. 432 (N.D. Ga. 1973), U.S. v. Morceri, 359 F. Supp. 432 (N.D. Oh. 1973).

Search and Seizure:
When a police officer's justification to continue detention of a person stopped for a traffic violation is not related to the purpose of the original stop, searching the car may be an illegal search when there are no facts giving rise to a suspicion of illegal activity. State v. Farris, State v. Robinette (1997) 80 Ohio St.3d 234, 685 N.E.2d 762.  Your attorney may be able to suppress evidence found by police officers when State and Federal Constitutional rights are violated.