Columbia Criminal Defense Attorney

Law Office of James R. Snell, Jr., LLC

All it takes is one criminal allegation—true or not—to turn a person's life upside down. Not only can does an accused individual risk receiving a conviction and damaging penalties, but the individual could also end up having his or her reputation, career and family life ruined. In some cases, a person can be the victim of false or exaggerated accusations. Other times, the individual might have committed the crime as a one-time incident and is truly deserving of a second chance. Whatever the circumstances you are facing, having a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney advocating on your behalf is of utmost important. Without having the appropriate legal representation, you could be more likely to receive a conviction you do not deserve. Our Columbia criminal defense attorneys at the Law Office of James R. Snell provide aggressive legal representation for each of their clients, helping them to execute the best defense tactics for their particular needs.

We are equipped to handle many different types of criminal cases, whether they involve misdemeanors of felonies. We can handle cases related to drug crimes and DUI (or driving under the influence of controlled substances such as drugs or alcohol). We can represent clients accused of violent crimes, such as domestic violence and assault. Some of the non-violent crimes our clients might face include property crimes, computer crimes and white collar crimes. Whether you are accused of something as minor as a traffic offense or as serious as a sex crime, we can guide you step-by-step through each phase of the criminal justice process. Our team also assists clients who want to have their criminal records expunged (such as through a pre-trial intervention program), and those who want to appeal previous court decisions that they believe are unfair or erroneous.

Columbia, South Carolina Crime Statistics

Columbia is South Carolina's capital and the largest city within the state. It serves as the county seat of Richland County, though part of the city is located in Lexington County. The city, which covers an area of 125.2 square miles, has an estimated 2011 population of 130,591. When compared to all other cities in the nation, Columbia has a very high crime rate—52.48 annual crimes for every 1,000 residents. This figure consists of 6.95 violent crimes and 45.53 property crimes for every 1,000 residents, which are both above statewide rates.

The chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime in Columbia is 1 in 144, compared to 1 in 175 in the entire state of South Carolina. The chance of becoming a victim of a property crime in the city is 1 in 22, compared to 1 in 26 statewide. In a recent year, there were 908 violent crimes and 5,946 property crimes in Columbia, bringing the annual total for the city to 6,854 crimes.

Obtaining Dedicated Legal Counsel

Our team is highly knowledgeable in the legal field of criminal defense. Not only are we closely familiar with South Carolina's laws, but we are also members of the South Carolina Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the South Carolina Association for Justice and the American Association for Justice. For each case we taken on, we dedicate ourselves to thoroughly investigating the facts behind the arrest and to paying close attention to the client's individual needs and concerns.