I am often asked why so many criminal defense attorneys oppose the death penalty.  Beside the fact that the death penalty is grossly ineffective, with the cost of capital litigation far exceeding that of imprisonment for life, defense practitioners see up close and personal the individuals who ultimately receive a sentence of death.  The poor,…

When I first began practicing criminal defense law in 1980, it was literally a different world.  We were a band of brothers1 seeking justice for our clients.  We were in it for love, not money,2 and truly believed our efforts mattered.  And you know what?  They did matter.  Whether it was keeping a young kid…

Sheppard, White and Kachergus, P.A. proudly announces the addition of Jonathan Graessle to the firm. Mr. Graessle joined the firm in 2013, after clerking with the firm every summer during law school. Mr. Graessle graduated from the Bolles School in 2005. A  “Double Gator,” he attended the University of Florida, as a Florida Academic Scholar,…