Cincinnati & Hamilton County Criminal Defense | Direct Attorney Access: 330-265-6016

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Facing criminal charges in Cincinnati requires an aggressive defense strategy built on Ohio state law and constitutional protections. While administrative procedures vary by courthouse, the fundamental rights guaranteed to the accused remain identical across every courtroom in Ohio.

Attorney Emmanuel Makris provides dedicated, trial-focused representation for clients facing state and municipal charges throughout Ohio, including Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Operating with a transparent, flat-fee pricing model, Attorney Makris personally handles every phase of your defense—ensuring you have direct access to your attorney from initial arraignment through the final resolution of your case.

Effective legal advocacy requires applying rigorous, evidence-based defense strategies to the specific venue where state charges are filed. We provide direct representation for cases proceeding through major Hamilton County jurisdictions:

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1. Hamilton County Municipal Court Defense

   Located in downtown Cincinnati, this court has county-wide jurisdiction over a massive volume of cases. It handles first-degree misdemeanors, OVI/DUI offenses, traffic citations, and preliminary hearings for felony arrests occurring anywhere within Hamilton County, which includes:

• Cities: Cincinnati, Norwood, Blue Ash, Springdale, Forest Park, Sharonville, Montgomery, and Wyoming

• Townships: Colerain, Green, Anderson, Delhi, Springfield, and Sycamore Townships

• Villages: Indian Hill, Mariemont, Evendale, Cleves, and Lincoln Heights

• Our Statewide Approach: Municipal court cases move rapidly. We step in at arraignment to advocate for reasonable bond conditions. We then demand full evidentiary discovery under Ohio Criminal Rule 16—including Cincinnati Police body-worn camera footage, cruiser dashcams, and breathalyzer calibration records—to rigorously challenge the constitutionality of the traffic stop or arrest.

• Address: 1000 Main St. Room 205 Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

• Phone Number-(513) 946-5200

• Judges:

  • Judge Janaya Trotter Trotter (District 1)

    • Year Elected/Appointed: Elected 2019, re-elected 2025

    • Legal Background: Earned a J.D. from Northern Kentucky University Salmon P. Chase College of Law. Practiced as a solo attorney specializing in civil litigation, criminal defense, and family law, and served as an assistant public defender in Hamilton County.

    Judge Bertha Garcia Helmick (District 1)

    • Year Elected/Appointed: Elected 2021

    • Legal Background: Earned a J.D. from NKU Salmon P. Chase College of Law. Served as a magistrate in Hamilton County Municipal Court, managing attorney at Legal Aid, and private practitioner focusing on civil litigation.

    Judge Gwen Bender (District 2)

    • Year Elected/Appointed: Elected 2015, re-elected 2021

    • Legal Background: Earned a J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Served over 18 years as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Hamilton County, heading the Appellate Division.

    Judge Tyree Gaines (District 2)

    • Year Elected/Appointed: Elected 2023

    • Legal Background: Earned a J.D. from NKU Salmon P. Chase College of Law. Worked as a Hamilton County Municipal Court magistrate, assistant public defender, and private defense attorney.

    Judge Ted Berry (District 3)

    • Year Elected/Appointed: Elected 2017, re-elected 2023

    • Legal Background: Earned a J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Spent over 30 years in private practice handling criminal defense, civil litigation, and prosecutorial work.

    Judge Samantha Silverstein (District 3)

    • Year Elected/Appointed: Elected 2023

    • Legal Background: Earned a J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Served as a senior staff attorney with the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office and worked in private civil litigation.

    Judge Curt C. Hartman (District 4)

    • Year Elected/Appointed: Appointed 2017, elected 2017, re-elected 2023

    • Legal Background: Earned a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School. Former Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge, private litigator specializing in constitutional and municipal law, and legal counsel to local government entities.

    Judge Josh Berkowitz (District 4)

    • Year Elected/Appointed: Elected 2019, re-elected 2025

    • Legal Background: Earned a J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Hamilton County and law clerk at the Ohio First District Court of Appeals.

    Judge Brad Greenberg (District 5)

    • Year Elected/Appointed: Elected 2015, re-elected 2021

    • Legal Background: Earned a J.D. from NKU Salmon P. Chase College of Law. Served as Chief Deputy Clerk for the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts and Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor.

    Judge Heather Russell (District 5)

    • Year Elected/Appointed: Elected 2001, re-elected 2007, 2013, 2019, 2025

    • Legal Background: Earned a J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Served as an Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor specializing in felony trials and domestic violence prosecution.

    Judge Nicole Sanders (District 6)

    • Year Elected/Appointed: Elected 2021

    • Legal Background: Earned a J.D. from NKU Salmon P. Chase College of Law. Operated a solo private practice and served as an assistant public defender handling domestic and criminal defense cases.

    Judge Season Snead (District 6)

    • Year Elected/Appointed: Elected 2023

    • Legal Background: Earned a J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Worked as a magistrate in Hamilton County Municipal Court, assistant public defender, and civil litigation attorney.

    Judge Bernie Bouchard (District 7)

    • Year Elected/Appointed: Elected 2017, re-elected 2023

    • Legal Background: Earned a J.D. from NKU Salmon P. Chase College of Law. Worked as an Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor and maintained a general private law practice for over two decades.

    Judge Donte Johnson (District 7)

    • Year Elected/Appointed: Elected 2023

    • Legal Background: Earned a J.D. from NKU Salmon P. Chase College of Law. Served as a Hamilton County Municipal Court magistrate, assistant public defender, and private practice managing attorney.

2. Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Defense

Situated at the Hamilton County Courthouse complex in downtown Cincinnati, the Court of Common Pleas is the venue for major criminal offenses under the Ohio Revised Code. Regardless of where an initial arrest occurred within the county, all adult felony cases are prosecuted here. This court presides over felony indictments (Felony 5 through Felony 1), including drug trafficking, violent offenses, and complex financial crimes.

• Our Statewide Approach: We bring a trial-first philosophy to every felony indictment. Rather than assuming a plea agreement is the only path forward, we independently evaluate the state’s forensic evidence, scrutinize search warrant affidavits for constitutional defects, and prepare the defense to be argued before a Hamilton County jury.

• Address: 1000 Main Street Room 410 Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

• Phone Number: 513-946-5800

• Judges:

  • Judge Terry Nestor

    • Year Elected/Appointed: 2020 (Appointed 2020, elected 2020)

    • Legal Education: University of Cincinnati College of Law (J.D.)

    • Legal Background: Managing Attorney for the City of Cincinnati Law Department, Assistant City Solicitor, and private civil litigator with over two decades of practice before taking the bench.

    Judge Wende Cross

    • Year Elected: 2020

    • Legal Education: University of Cincinnati College of Law (J.D.)

    • Legal Background: Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor, and Magistrate in the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.

    Judge Christian A. Jenkins

    • Year Elected: 2020

    • Legal Education: Brooklyn Law School (J.D.)

    • Legal Background: Partner at Meyer Wilson Co., LPA and Barna, Capagrossi & Jenkins; spent over 20 years in private practice representing labor unions, workers, and plaintiffs in complex civil litigation.

    Judge Heidi Rosales

    • Year Elected: 2020

    • Legal Education: Northern Kentucky University, Salmon P. Chase College of Law (J.D.)

    • Legal Background: Managing Attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, Hamilton County Public Defender, and private practitioner specializing in civil rights and tenant advocacy.

    Judge Nicole Sanders

    • Year Elected: 2020

    • Legal Education: University of Cincinnati College of Law (J.D.)

    • Legal Background: Attorney with the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office and founder of a private practice focused on criminal defense, probate, and family law.

    Judge Alan C. Triggs

    • Year Elected/Appointed: 2021 (Appointed 2021, elected 2022)

    • Legal Education: University of Cincinnati College of Law (J.D.)

    • Legal Background: Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge, Chief Counsel for the City of Cincinnati Law Department, and private civil litigation practitioner.

    Judge Megan E. Shanahan

    • Year Elected: 2014 (Re-elected 2020)

    • Legal Education: University of Cincinnati College of Law (J.D.)

    • Legal Background: Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge, Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor (Special Victims Unit), and City of Cincinnati Prosecutor.

    Judge Leslie Ghiz

    • Year Elected/Appointed: 2013 (Appointed 2013, elected 2014, re-elected 2020)

    • Legal Education: Capital University Law School (J.D.)

    • Legal Background: Cincinnati City Council Member, Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor, and private practice attorney concentrating on labor and employment litigation.

    Judge Tom Heekin

    • Year Elected: 2014 (Re-elected 2020)

    • Legal Education: University of Cincinnati College of Law (J.D.)

    • Legal Background: Over 20 years in private practice handling civil litigation, commercial disputes, insurance defense, and personal injury matters.

    Judge Jody Marie Luebbers

    • Year Elected: 2008 (Re-elected 2014, 2020)

    • Legal Education: Northern Kentucky University, Salmon P. Chase College of Law (J.D.)

    • Legal Background: Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor in the criminal division and private practitioner handling criminal defense and general civil cases.

    Judge Melba D. Marsh

    • Year Elected: 2008 (Re-elected 2014, 2020; previously Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge since 1989)

    • Legal Education: University of Cincinnati College of Law (J.D.)

    • Legal Background: Long-serving member of the local judiciary; former Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor and Municipal Court Judge.

    Judge Robert C. Winkler

    • Year Elected: 2006 (Re-elected 2012, 2018, 2024)

    • Legal Education: Northern Kentucky University, Salmon P. Chase College of Law (J.D.)

    • Legal Background: Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge, Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor, and judicial staff attorney.

    Judge Charles J. Kubicki, Jr.

    • Year Elected: 2004 (Re-elected 2010, 2016, 2022)

    • Legal Education: Northern Kentucky University, Salmon P. Chase College of Law (J.D.)

    • Legal Background: Private practice trial attorney specializing in civil defense, corporate litigation, and criminal defense prior to judicial election.

    Judge Virginia Tallent

    • Year Elected: 2022

    • Legal Education: University of Cincinnati College of Law (J.D.)

    • Legal Background: Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives for the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts, Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati housing attorney, and civil litigator.

    Judge Samantha Silverstein

    • Year Elected/Appointed: 2022 (Elected to unexpired term 2022, re-elected 2024)

    • Legal Education: University of Cincinnati College of Law (J.D.)

    • Legal Background: Hamilton County Municipal Court Magistrate, trial attorney in the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office, and private practitioner.

    Judge Christopher Jackson

    • Year Elected: 2024

    • Legal Education: Northern Kentucky University, Salmon P. Chase College of Law (J.D.)

    • Legal Background: Magistrate in the Hamilton County Municipal Court, Assistant Public Defender, and private legal practitioner in Southwestern Ohio.

3. Hamilton County Juvenile Court Defense

Operating within the Hamilton County Juvenile Court system, proceedings address delinquency allegations, underage OVI, and statutory offenses originating anywhere within Hamilton County limits. While the juvenile system prioritizes rehabilitation, the long-term consequences of an adjudication can severely impact a minor's future.

• Our Statewide Approach: We advocate to protect the constitutional rights of minors, contest motions for bind-over transfers to adult criminal court, and work to resolve matters in ways that protect the youth's permanent record and future educational opportunities.

• Address and Phone Number: 800 Broadway Cincinnati, OH 45202

  • 513-946-9200

• Judges:

  • Judge Kari L. Bloom (Administrative Judge)

    • Term & Bench Status: Elected in November 2020 (term began February 14, 2021). She became the Administrative Judge on January 1, 2023. She remains on the bench and is on the ballot for re-election in the November 2026 general election.

    • Legal Education: J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.

    • Legal Background:

      • Contract negotiator for the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

      • Legislative liaison and parole attorney at the Office of the Ohio Public Defender, testifying on juvenile justice policy before the state legislature and handling parole board hearings.

      • Staff attorney in the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office Juvenile Division.

      • Served on statewide reform committees, including the Ohio Supreme Court Sentencing Commission, the Ohio Supreme Court Bail Committee, and the Ohio Supreme Court Juvenile Justice Committee.

    Judge Stacey DeGraffenreid

    • Term & Bench Status: Elected in November 2022 (six-year term began January 1, 2023, expiring December 31, 2028).

    • Legal Education: B.S. in Business Administration and M.Ed. from the University of Louisville; J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.

    • Legal Background:

      • Private practice attorney in local municipal and juvenile courts.

      • Juvenile defense attorney with the Hamilton County Public Defender's Office.

      • Prosecutor with the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office, serving as Chief of the Juvenile Division and Assistant Chief of the Criminal Division.

      • Has over 20 years of experience in the criminal justice system alongside prior professional experience with Fortune 500 corporations.

We provide comprehensive defense representation across Ohio for a wide range of misdemeanor and felony charges, including:

• Sex Offenses: Strategic, discreet, and aggressive defense against life-altering allegations, including Rape, Sexual Battery, Gross Sexual Imposition (GSI), Public Indecency, and challenging sex offender registry requirements.

• OVI / DUI & Traffic Offenses: Challenging breathalyzer accuracy, field sobriety test administration, and fighting to protect your driving privileges from BMV administrative suspensions.

• Drug Crimes: Defending against state and federal-level drug possession, manufacturing, Trafficking in Drugs, and Major Drug Offender (MDO) indictments.

• Domestic Violence & Protection Orders: Protecting your rights against Domestic Violence charges, Assault, and defending against the issuance of Civil Protection Orders (CPOs) that threaten your home and family access.

• Violent Crimes: High-stakes trial defense for Assault, Aggravated Assault, Felonious Assault, Manslaughter, Murder, and self-defense cases.

• Weapons & Firearms Offenses: Defending your Second Amendment rights against charges of Improper Handling of a Firearm, Carrying a Concealed Weapon (CCW) violations, and Having Weapons Under Disability.

• Theft & Property Crimes: Strategic defense for Petty Theft, Shoplifting, Burglary, Robbery, and Grand Theft.

• White-Collar & Financial Crimes: Representation for complex financial allegations including Fraud, Embezzlement, Forgery, and Identity Fraud.

• Juvenile Offenses: Protecting the futures of minors facing delinquency proceedings in Ohio juvenile courts, keeping focus on rehabilitation over punishment.

• Record Sealing & Expungement: Helping eligible clients seal or expunge past criminal convictions to restore their employment opportunities and clear their public record.

When an individual is arrested and held at the Hamilton County Justice Center or a municipal holding facility, immediate legal intervention is critical. Delaying representation allows the prosecution to present an unmonitored initial position on bail. We advocate forcefully at initial bond hearings to request reasonable pretrial release conditions, allowing clients to return to their families and employment while we build their defense.

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Hiring a criminal defense attorney in Cincinnati should not involve unpredictable hourly billing or hidden monthly fees. Attorney Makris operates on a fully transparent, flat-rate pricing model for cases across Ohio. Before you sign a fee agreement, you will know the exact cost of your legal representation—including trial preparation—allowing you to focus entirely on your defense rather than worrying about the cost of a phone call. For cases in Southwest Ohio, any necessary travel adjustments will be clearly outlined upfront in your flat-rate quote.

All flat fees are the complete cost for representation including trial.

Prices:

• Minor Misdemeanor- $1000

• Misdemeanor 4 -(M4): $1500

• Misdemeanor 3-(M3): $1500

• Misdemeanor 2 -(M2): $1500

• Misdemeanor 1 -(M1): $1750

• 1st OVI: $2000

• Felony 5 (F5): $3000

• Felony 4 (F4): $4000

• Felony 3 (F3): $5000

• Felony 2 (F2): $7500

• Felony 1 (F1): $10,000

• Major Drug Offender (MDO): $15,000

• Murder: $20,000

​Fees are typical estimates including trial. We reserve the right to adjust for complexity and or travel. We have offices in the Stark County Area and near Lucas County. There may a flat transparent traveling fee that takes account the traveling time required to handle your case. Fees cover legal representation; clients pay court costs and 3rd party expenses. Fees do not include appellate representation in your particular case. We fight for your future.