Ask J. Taylor Bell what he most enjoys about his criminal defense law practice and his response is unequivocal: “Fighting the power.” “Criminal defense attorneys are the shield that protects the individual from the almighty government machine,” he says. “It doesn’t care about feelings or individual circumstances. It’s a machine, and it wants to roll. If you get caught in it, you just get run over unless you have somebody who’s going to stand up for you.” A North Carolina native who grew up near Charlotte, Bell received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2007. After working in the financial services industry for a year, Bell decided to go to law school after realizing he wanted a direct hand in helping people. Bell has focused on representing criminal defendants ever since his student days at the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor degree in 2011. During law school, he clerked at the Richland County Public Defender’s office in Columbia and continued to work there as an attorney after earning his law license. He remained at the public defender’s office for six years, handling the full spectrum of criminal defense cases, ranging from the most serious felonies to misdemeanors. He tried numerous jury trials in both general sessions court and magistrates’ court, and was one of the lead defense attorneys in the first human-trafficking case ever brought before the South Carolina Grand Jury. In 2015, Bell received intensive additional training in the art of jury persuasion at the National Criminal Defense College Trial Practice Institute.

Bill Nettles possesses an extraordinary, almost unparalleled depth and breadth of experience. You cannot find an attorney who will be better equipped to provide you with the high-quality representation you deserve. Mr. Nettles was appointed United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina by President Obama and was sworn into that office on May 3, 2010. As the US Attorney, he dramatically overhauled the office to focus on public corruption, fraud and white collar crime, while also greatly increasing resources to the extraordinarily important false claims whistleblower division. Under Mr. Nettles' leadership, the US Attorney's office made white collar crime and public corruption the highest priority of the criminal division's efforts He also earned national praise for the innovative and intelligent approach his office took to drug crimes. Mr. Nettles was the longest serving US attorney since the 1960's, ensuring he had an extraordinary impact on the personnel and the policies of that important office. Because of his service as the United States Attorney for the entire state of South Carolina he has worked with the heads of the Department of Justice to help shape policy for the last 5 and a half years. Before being appointed a US Attorney, Mr. Nettles graduated from The Citadel and earned his law degree at The Widener University School of Law, where he was on law review and was a member of the moot court honor society. After graduating, he began a career that has taken him into every corner of the legal system. Mr. Nettles began his career as a public defender in Columbia, providing criminal defense services to indigent defendants who could not afford attorneys. During that time, he ensured that the legal system would not leave the economically disadvantaged behind. From 1997 to 2005, Mr. Nettles worked in private practice as a sole practitioner. He continued his criminal defense work and became one of the region's most well-respected "white collar crime" lawyers. He also represented clients accused of drug crimes, handled several court-appointed capital cases, twice tried cases that were argued before the United States Supreme Court and worked in medical malpractice and other torts. Starting in 2005, he worked at Sanders & Nettles, LLC until being appointed the US Attorney. As you can see, Mr. Nettles is experienced in a wide range of case types. He understands both state and federal criminal procedures and has the respect of every judge and opposing lawyer in the area. When you choose Bill Nettles, you choose an attorney who has proven time and again that his clients receive the best possible aggressive legal representation.