Maitri Klinkosum | Raleigh Criminal Lawyer

Mike Klinkosum's standard for being a criminal defense lawyer is simple:   "A good lawyer represents clients, but a great lawyer fights for people."  With almost 20 years of experience as a criminal defense attorney, Mike Klinkosum is no stranger to legal battles, both inside and out of the courtroom. Having defended thousands of people, charged with offenses ranging from minor infractions to capital murder, Mike has fought for the accused in numerous trials and hearings as lead counsel. The people he has defended have included business people, military officers, school teachers, engineers, and law enforcement officers. He has fought on behalf of those with the means to defend themselves, as well as the poor. He has fought for accused people in high-profile cases, but more often in cases that have never received any attention. He has fought for people accused of crimes across the State of North Carolina from Hendersonville to Manteo.

Mike is certified as a Specialist in State Criminal Law by the NC Bar Board of Legal Specialization since 2004 and a Specialist in Criminal Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy since 2007. His practice is devoted exclusively to criminal defense at the trial and appellate levels in both the State and Federal courts of North Carolina. He has appeared in cases in all of the regions of North Carolina.
 
Note that the specific cases referenced above are not all of the cases Mike has worked on, and past results do not guarantee similar outcomes in future cases. Each case is unique.

Position	Organization	Location	Duration
Attorney at Law	Cheshire, Parker, Schneider, & Bryan, P.L.L.C.	Raleigh, NC	06/2010 - 12/2014
Assistant Public Defender	Office of the Public Defender - Wake County		03/2007 - 06/2010
Assistant Capital Defender	Office of the Capital Defender of North Carolina		12/2002 - 03/2007

School	Degree	Major	Graduation
University of Miami School of Law	JD	Law School	1995
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill	Bachelor of Arts	Political Science & History	1992

State / Court	Date
Illinois	1995
North Carolina	1998

• Member, North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ)
  Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
  Member, Wake County Academy of Criminal Trial Lawyers
  Member, North Carolina Bar Association
  Member, Wake County Bar Association
  Member, American Civil Liberties Union
  Member, 10th Judicial District Bar Association

• AV Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell;
  Top 100 Trial Lawyers in North Carolina, The National Trial Lawyers (2012-2014);
  Top 100 Trial Lawyers in North Carolina, The American Society of Legal Advocates (2013-2014);
  North Carolina Super Lawyers - Criminal Defense, Super Lawyers Magazine (2012 - 2014);
  North Carolina Super Lawyers "Rising Stars" - Criminal Defense, Super Lawyers Magainze (2009);
  Legal Elite - Criminal Defense, Business North Carolina Magazine (2012 - 2013);
  John Rubin Award for Extraordinary Contributions to Indigent Defense Services Training Programs, NC Indigent Defense Services Commission (2011);
  Kellie Crabtree Award (For State v. Gregory F. Taylor), North Carolina Advocates for Justice (2010)
  ACLU of North Carolina Award (For State v. Floyd Lee Brown), American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina (2008);
  Kellie Crabtree Award (For State v. Floyd Lee Brown), North Carolina Advocates for Justice (2008)
  Ebbie Award, North Carolina Advocates for Justice (2005)

• Cases: State of North Carolina vs. P.F. Outcome: Not guilty on all counts. State of North Carolina vs. C.P. Outcome: Charges dismissed. State of North Carolina vs. A.A. Outcome: Not guilty on all counts.

• Pursuing Discovery in Criminal Cases: Forcing Open the Prosecution's Files, The Champion (Publication of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers) Vol. XXXVII No. 4, 2013;
  Klinkosum on Criminal Defense Motions, 3rd Edition (edited by Sarah Jessica Farber), LexisNexis publication, 2014;
  North Carolina Criminal Defense Motions Manual, 2nd Edition, LexisNexis publication, 2012;
  State v. Taylor and the NC State Bureau of Investigation Lab Scandal, The Champion (Publication of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers) Vol. XXXV, No. 4, 2011;
  State v. Gregory F. Taylor and Law Enforcement Misconduct in the NC SBI Crime Laboratory, The True Bill (NC State Bar Assoc. Criminal Justice Section), Vol. 30, No. 1, 2010;
  North Carolina Criminal Defense Motion Manual-1st Ed., LexisNexis publication, 2008;
  Brady v. Maryland and Its Legacy - Forging a Path for Disclosure, NC State Bar Journal - Summer, 2006 (Co-authored with Bradley J. Bannon), 2006;
  Advocating for Those Left Behind: The Need for Discovery Reform in Non-Capital Post-Conviction Cases, Trial Briefs (NCAJ); February, 2005 (Co-authored with Bradley J. Bannon), 2005;
  Piercing the Rape Shield: The Confrontation Clause and Rule 412 in Sex Offense Cases, Trial Briefs (NCAJ), 2003;
  Discovery in Criminal Cases: A Need for Reform, Trial Briefs (NCAJ), 2003.

Sun.	Mon.	Tue.	Wed.	Thu.	Fri.	Sat.
Closed	8:30 am - 5:30 pm	8:30 am - 5:30 pm	8:30 am - 5:30 pm	8:30 am - 5:30 pm	8:30 am - 5:30 pm	Closed

• Mike Klinkosum | Practice Areas
• Mike Klinkosum | About
• Mike Klinkosum | Articles
• Mike Klinkosum | Firm Overview