Jeckering & Associates, LLC defends people charged with crimes in Franklin County and Champaign County, Ohio, from our Columbus and Mechanicsburg offices. If you are under investigation or charged, do not answer police questions without a lawyer. Your defense starts with the State’s evidence: the reports, the video and the lab work.
This page provides general information, not legal advice about your matter. Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Your defense starts with their evidence
We get the discovery and read every report, watch every minute of body-cam and cruiser video, and check the lab work against the chain of custody. Then we test the stop, the search and any statement for whether it was lawful. Evidence obtained the wrong way can be challenged before trial, and sometimes that challenge decides the case.
Charges we defend
- OVI and other traffic offenses.
- Misdemeanors in municipal and county courts.
- Lower-level felonies.
- Probation violations and warrants.
If your charge is not on the list, call anyway and ask.
Before you are charged
Police sometimes call and ask you to come in and “clear things up.” That interview is for gathering evidence. You can say no to the interview and ask for a lawyer, politely and in so many words. Do not consent to a search of your phone, car or home without talking to us first.
Police want to talk? Call 614-944-5151 first.
Arraignment and the first weeks
At arraignment the court names the offense, takes your plea and sets bond and any conditions, such as no contact with a witness. Misdemeanors in Franklin County are usually handled in municipal court, and felonies move to the Court of Common Pleas. What happens next is decided by the evidence, so we get it first. The early weeks decide a lot: what evidence is preserved, which motions get filed and how the prosecutor sees the case.
Plea offer or trial
Most cases resolve without a trial, but a plea is your decision, not ours and not the prosecutor’s. We tell you what the evidence shows, what the offer actually means for your record and your license, and what a trial would look like. Then you decide with the full picture.
OVI charges
An OVI can involve two tracks: the criminal case and a separate administrative license suspension. Each has its own short deadlines. The reason for the stop, the field sobriety tests, the breath or blood testing procedure and the officer’s observations can all be challenged. We challenge them.
Who handles your defense
Kristie A. Campbell, Managing Litigation Counsel, handles criminal defense, including misdemeanors, traffic and OVI matters, and lower-level felonies. She works with the rest of our litigation team on discovery, motions and trial preparation, so the case gets the same attention we give a civil trial.
What to bring to the first meeting
- The complaint, citation or indictment, and any bond paperwork.
- Your next court date.
- Names of anyone who saw what happened.
- Anything the police gave you or took from you.
Do not bring a written account of events to share with anyone else. Tell it to your lawyer.
Collateral consequences
A conviction can follow you into a job application, a professional license, a lease or a custody case. We weigh those consequences along with the sentence, because for many clients they matter more.
After the case
Some records can be sealed under Ohio law. Eligibility turns on the offense and how the case ended. We check it when the case closes.
Champaign County
Charged in Urbana or elsewhere in Champaign County? Our Mechanicsburg law office serves the county.
Why clients hire us
- Every case is prepared as if it is going to trial.
- Your rights are protected from the first phone call, before police get a statement. We fight for your rights at every hearing after that.
- Discovery is read in full before any plea discussion.
- Suppression issues are raised, not left on the table.
- Offices in Columbus and Mechanicsburg, close to the courts.
- You get honest odds, not promises.
FAQ
Should I talk to police without a lawyer?
No. You can politely decline to answer questions and ask for a lawyer, and anything you say can be used against you.
What happens at an arraignment?
You are told the charge, enter a plea and the court addresses bond. It is usually brief.
Should I take a plea offer?
Only after you understand the evidence and the consequences. The decision is yours, and we explain the offer, the risks of trial and the effect on your record first.
Can an OVI be reduced?
Sometimes. Weak testing, a bad stop or a thin record can change the outcome, and no result can be promised in advance.
Will I lose my license after an OVI arrest?
You may face an administrative suspension separate from the criminal case. It has its own short deadlines, so call promptly.
Can my record be sealed?
Possibly. Ohio allows sealing for many offenses and outcomes, and the offense and the outcome decide eligibility.
Do you defend charges in Champaign County?
Yes, from our Mechanicsburg office, and Franklin County cases from Columbus.
Charged? Call 614-944-5151 before you talk to anyone else.
Or call Mechanicsburg at 937-896-2222, or tell us what happened.
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Jeckering & Associates, LLC · Columbus office: 10 N High St, Suite 301, Columbus, OH 43215 · 614-944-5151 · Mechanicsburg office: 16 S Main St, Mechanicsburg, OH 43044 · 937-896-2222 · staff@centralohiolegal.com · Hours Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–5:30 PM