Biography

Member, Board of Directors, NACDLNACDL Membership ChairChair, Criminal Law Div., AR Bar Assn.Past President, AR Assn. of Criminal Defense LawyersPast President, Pulaski Co. Bar Assn.Recipient, Champion of Justice Award, NACDL (2006) & President's Award, AACDL (1999) & Pulaski Co. Bar Assn. (1998, 2003, 2005, 2009,2014)Author, ATLA Docket, "Preparing for the Penalty Phase in a Death Penalty Case"

Education

• Undergraduate: University of Arkansas, BSBA Finance/Banking, 1991
• Law School: Univiversity of Arkansas Little Rock, JD, 1994

Bar Information

• 8th Cir., US Supreme Ct.

Biography

Graduated with Honors, Florida State University College of LawGraduated with Provos'ts Honors, University of California, San Diego Numerous Articles published in various magazines, including the Florida Bar Journal

Bar Information

• Federal District Court, Northern and Middle Districts of Florida; Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals;

Biography

Certified Specialist, Criminal Law, State Bar of Calif. Board of Legal SpecializationFellow, Amer. Board of Criminal Lawyers Faculty, Crim. Justice Coll. of Advocacy, Hastings Coll. of Law (1983-2000)Vice-President, Calif. Attys. for Criminal Justice (1983-84)Vice-President, Amer. Board of Criminal Lawyers (1987-88)Listed: Best Lawyers In Amer. (1987-Pres.) N. CA Super Lawyers (2005-Pres.); Top 100 Trial Lawyers in CA

Education

• Undergraduate: Golden Gate College, , 1966
• Law School: Golden Gate College School of Law, , 1969

Bar Information

• US Dist. Ct. for North., East., Cen. Dist. of CA, 9th Cir., US Supreme Ct.

Biography

Criminal Defense Lawyer, David J. Joffe is listed in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. Such a designation indicates that David J. Joffe is ranked in the top 5% of all attorneys in the country.

Education

• Undergraduate: Florida State University, , 1984
• Law School: University of Miami School of Law, 1988

Bar Information

• USDC Southern, Middle & Northern Dist. of FL, USDC Northern Dist. of NY, USCA 11th Cir.-Atlanta, GA,

Biography

Biography

Faculty and Regent, Natl. Criminal Defense Coll.Life Member, Kansas Assn. of Criminal Defense LawyersLife Member, National Assn. of Criminal Defense LawyersFormer Member, Board of Directors, NACDLListed, Best Lawyers in America Appointed to the 3rd Judicial District Court Branch, December, 2005.Member, American College of Trial Lawyers

Education

• Undergraduate: Winston-Salem State University, , 1973
• Law School: University of Kansas School of Law, 1975

Biography

Stephen Ross Johnson has defended criminal cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States, ranging from complex white-collar financial crimes to death penalty cases. He is a partner with Ritchie, Johnson & Stovall, P.C., in Knoxville, Tennessee, and is a criminal defense trial and appellate attorney.

Mr. Johnson is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States; the Supreme Court of Tennessee and all Tennessee appellate and trial courts; the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh Circuits; the United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Tennessee; the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida; the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois; and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. In addition, he has been admitted to practice on a pro hac vice basis in many other federal and state courts.

Mr. Johnson has been defense counsel in jury trials and hearings in state and federal courts involving a wide variety of criminal offenses, including charges of theft of trade secrets, racketeering, money laundering, health care fraud, illegal gambling, government contract fraud, wire and mail fraud, tax fraud, bank fraud, perjury and false statements, arson, firearms offenses, illegal drug distribution, assault, child abuse and neglect, internet crimes, rape and other sexual offenses, and homicide. He has successfully defended persons at jury trial in murder prosecutions when the death penalty was sought. He has successfully litigated cases involving social media communications and other electronic evidence, and he has successfully defended cases involving mental health issues, such as legal insanity, diminished capacity, and competency. In addition, he often represents health care providers and other licensed professionals in disciplinary matters.

In his appellate practice, Mr. Johnson has represented persons wrongfully convicted of serious felony matters on appeal and collateral review, to include direct appeal, state post-conviction, and federal habeas corpus proceedings, and has obtained reversals of wrongful convictions and sentences.

Mr. Johnson has served multiple terms on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and is a past President of the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (TACDL). Mr. Johnson was sworn in as Second Vice President at NACDL’s annual meeting held on July 27, 2024, after serving terms as Secretary and Treasurer. He is actively involved in the Task Force on Prosecutorial Accountability and the White Collar Crime and Membership Committees. Mr. Johnson is the Sixth Circuit Vice Chair of NACDL’s Amicus Committee and is the NACDL Lawyer’s Assistance Strike Force Representative for the Sixth Circuit. He is a Trustee of the NACDL Foundation for Criminal Justice (NFCJ) and for many years served on the faculty of the Tennessee Criminal Defense College (TCDC). He has served on the board of the Knoxville Bar Association and for over a decade co-chaired the law office technology and management committee. He is past President and an emeritus Master of the Bench with the Hamilton Burnett Chapter of the American Inns of Court. He is a fellow of the American, Tennessee, and Knoxville Bar Foundations. For his volunteer efforts, the TBA honored Mr. Johnson with its Access to Justice Award. For many years he has been listed in Best Lawyers in America in white-collar criminal defense and has achieved an AV rating for preeminent legal ability and ethical standards from Martindale-Hubbell.

In addition to his private practice, Mr. Johnson was the incorporator of the Tennessee Innocence Project and was the founding President of the Board of Directors, serving in that position until 2021. He has been involved in the innocence movement in Tennessee for over two decades. In 2000, he helped start and lead an earlier form of the Tennessee Innocence Project that later became the Innocence Clinic at the University of Tennessee College of Law, where he served as an adjunct professor and director from 2009-2018. Mr. Johnson assisted in the effort that led to the passage of the Tennessee Post-Conviction DNA Analysis Act of 2001 and the Tennessee Post-Conviction Fingerprint Analysis Act of 2021, and he has successfully litigated innocence cases that not only reversed wrongful convictions but helped establish the procedures in Tennessee for bringing newly discovered evidence claims.

Mr. Johnson has published articles and taught lawyers, law students, members of law enforcement, and others across the country on criminal law and litigation issues. He is a graduate of the National Criminal Defense College (NCDC) and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence, with honors, from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Mr. Johnson completed his undergraduate education at Carson-Newman University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in International Economics with a minor in Political Science. He attended graduate school at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, where he was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, graduated with a Diploma in Contemporary Economic History and worked as an economist for Govan Initiative, a Scottish economic development agency. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Mr. Johnson also worked in education, banking, retail, farming, and manufacturing, and even as a juvenile probation officer and private investigator. He regularly draws on his diverse academic and vocational experiences in representing his clients.

Biography

Past President, Guilford Co. Black Lawyers, 1995-97Past Master, CW Lawrence #837 Prince Hall MasonsPast President, Timberlake Chapter, Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity 1982-83Life Member, NAACPMember, Natl. Bar AssnMember, NC Academy of Trial Lawyers

Education

• Undergraduate: University of North Carolina Greensboro, BA, 1978
• Graduate: University of North Carolina Greensboro, MA, 1980
• Law School: Wake Forest University School of Law, 1983

Bar Information

• 4th Cir., US Supreme Ct.

Biography

Member, American Academy of Forensic Sciences, OKLA Criminal Justice Reform Steering Committee, Graduate Studies in Forensic Science Advisory Comm.OSU Coll. of Osteopathic Medicine.Lecturer, OKLA Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training.Life Member: United States Judo Association

Education

• Undergraduate: University of Delaware, BA, 1972
• Law School: University of Tulsa, JD, 1977

Bar Information

• N. Dist. OK, 10th Cir., W. Dist of OK., E. Dist of Ok

Biography

Past President, Russell Co. Bar Assn.Member, Ethics Committee, Virginia State Bar Assn. (1984-87)Special Justice, 29th Judicial Dist. (1982-83)Former Commonwealth Attorney, Russell Co., VA (1984-91)

Education

• Undergraduate: East Tennessee State University, , 1969
• Law School: Univ. of Tennessee School of Law, 1973

Bar Information

• 4th Cir., US Tax Ct., US Supreme Ct.

Biography

Recipient, Outstanding Practitioner Award, Criminal Justice Section, New York State Bar Assn.Fellow, Intl. Academy of Trial Lawyers, Intl. Soc. of Barristers, American Coll. of Trial Lawyers, Inner Circle of Advocates, American Board of Criminal LawyersListed, Best Lawyers in America (1st-Current Ed.) (2013-14)Albany Law Sch. Trustees Gold Medal (2003)Capital Dist. Trial Lawyers Assn. Charter Presiden

Education

• Undergraduate: Williams College, , 1963
• Law School: Albany Law School, , 1966

Biography

Charter Member, Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice. State Bar Certified Specialist, Criminal Law. AV Rated Criminal Defense. Southwest Super Lawyers(2007-14,2016).Top 100 Trial Lawyers, The American Trial Lawyers. Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers.

Education

• Undergraduate: University of California, Santa Barbara, B.A., 1980
• Law School: University of California, Davis, J.D., 1983

Bar Information

• 9th, 5th, 6th, 7th, US Supreme Ct.

Biography

Multi-Million Dollar AdvocatesMillion Dollar AdvocatesCityView Magazine (2008-2015): Top Knoxville Criminal Defense Attorneys American Institute of Criminal Attorneys: Tennessee's 10 Best AttorneysAmerican Society of Legal Advocates: Tennessee’s Top 100 Litigation LawyersNational Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Trial Lawyers in AmericaShriners International, A&A Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Free & Accepted Masons, Royal Order of Jesters, Order of Quetzalcoatl, Lions Club, Rotary, Elks

Education

• Undergraduate: Oxford College, A/A, 1986, Emory University, B/A, 1988
• Law School: University of Tennessee, JD, 1990

Bar Information

• Middle & Eastern US Dist. Ct. TN, 6th Circuit, US Sup. Ct.

Biography

Mr. Joseph's practice is concentrated in the defense of persons charged with crimes in federal and state courts. He has earned Martindale-Hubbell's highest "AV" rating for lawyers, is recognized in Best Lawyers in America for criminal defense, is a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, a Thomson Reuters “Superlawyer,†and is a "Top 40 under 40" per The National Trial Lawyers.

Education

• Undergraduate: Wichita State University, B.A., 1997
• Law School: University of Kansas, J.D., 2000

Biography

Member, Ethics and Grievance Commitee, Virgin Islands BarChairman, Territorial Public Defender Administration Board Member, Committee of Bar Examiners, Virgin Islands BarFederal Public Defender, District of the Virgin Islands (1982-86)

Education

• Undergraduate: Loyola University of Los Angeles, , 1972
• Law School: Golden Gate University School of Law, 1977

Biography

Education

• Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law School, LLM, 2002
• Graduate: University of Michigan Law School, LLM, 2002

Biography

Education

• Undergraduate: The Citadel, BS, 2000
• Law School: Regent University School of Law, JD, 2003

Bar Information

• Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, Supreme Court of the United States

Biography

Missouri Bar Criminal Law Committee; MACDL;Member Bar Assn. of Metropolitan St. Louis, Criminal Justice Section;Recipient, Criminal Justice Award, Univ. of Missouri;Listed, Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Missouri 2007 to present, American/National Trial Lawyers Assn.; Super Lawyers 2011-2015; AV Rated Martindale Hubbell 2005-present

Education

• Undergraduate: University of Missouri, Bachelor of Science, 1989
• Law School: University of Missouri, Juris Doctor, 1992

Bar Information

• ED MO, SD IL, 4th, 7th, 8th & 11 Cirs. Ct. of Appeals, US Supreme Ct.

Biography

Former Director, Office of the Public Defender, Denver and Colorado Springs, ColoradoLife Member, NACDLInclusion in the Best Lawyers and the Best Law Firms in America (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021)Nomination and Admission to the exclusive American Board of Trial Lawyers (ABOTA)Over ten years selected as a Colorado Super Lawyer, an honor reserved for the top five percent of Colorado attorneysMember, Colorado Criminal Defense Bar Board Certification as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocates

Education

• Undergraduate: State Univ. of New York at Binghamton, , 1973
• Law School: University of Colorado School of Law, 1976

Biography

Admissions:MichiganKentuckyMarylandUnited States Supreme CourtWestern District of KentuckySouthern District of IndianaEastern District of Michigan

Education

• Undergraduate: Government College University Pakistan, B.A., 1986
• Graduate: Islamabad University (QAU), Pakistan, M.Sc. , 1988
• Law School: Thomas M. Cooley Law School, J.D., 1996

Bar Information

• United States Supreme Court Western District of Kentucky Southern District of Indiana Eastern Dis

Biography

Life Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, New York Criminal Bar Association, New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Education

• Undergraduate: Boston University, Bachelor of Arts, 1983
• Law School: University of Miami, Juris Doctorate, 1986

Bar Information

• U.S. District Court for Southern andEastern District of New York and S.D. Fl. and Dist. of Columbia

Biography

Board Certified Specialist, Criminal Law, California Board of Legal SpecializationSouthern California SuperLawyers, 2012-2016Administrative Office of the US Courts National CJA Panel Representative for the Central District of California 2010-2014CJA Panel Mamber, USDC, Central Dist. Of CaliforniaMemberFederal Bar Association

Education

• Undergraduate: University of California Los Angeles, B.A., 1986
• Law School: Loyola Law School Los Angeles, J.D., 1992

Bar Information

• 9th Cir., Central, Northern, Southern and Eastern US Dist. Cts. of CA

Biography

Former Member, Board of Directors, NACDL Past Treasurer, Indiana Assn. of Criminal Defense LawyersPast Vice-President, Indianapolis Bar Assn.Recipient, Pro Bono Award, Indiana State Bar Assn.

Education

• Undergraduate: Ripon College, , 1968
• Law School: New York University Law School, 1971

Bar Information

• S. Dist. of IN, N. Dist of In, ED of Mich, 6th. 7th, 9th Cirs.

Biography

Education

• Undergraduate: Southern Illinois University Carbondale, BA, 1985
• Law School: University of Tennessee, JD, 1988

Biography

Award: Trial Lawyer of the Year, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice

Education

• Undergraduate: University of Connecticut, , 1979
• Law School: Univ. Western New England Sch. of Law, 1982