In 2018, I was retained to defend a young man who at the time was a University of Kentucky (UK) student and who had struck four-year-old Marco Shemwell with his car following a UK football game. Marco died after being struck, which resulted in charges of reckless homicide and driving under the influence (DUI) against my client. I worked with Louisville attorney Steve Schroering and Lexington attorney Eric Ray to prepare a robust defense for our client.

It was our job to offer the best defense possible and to ensure that our client was afforded his rights under the Constitution. After a four-day trial, the jury unanimously determined that our client was not guilty of reckless homicide and chose to convict only on the DUI charge. Our client was fined $500 by the judge and released.

We do not celebrate this verdict in the least. It was tragic in every way. At the time of the accident, our client was an 18-year-old college student. Marco was an innocent little boy. Both families have suffered terribly. Marco is gone, and his family is left with deep and lasting grief. Our client’s life is forever changed, as he will carry this tragedy with him the rest of his life.

My job as a defense attorney is to work tirelessly on behalf of my clients, using all the evidence and testimony to get the best result on their behalf. This kind of defense is guaranteed under the United States Constitution. In this case, I solicited the assistance of two highly capable attorneys. Together, we were able to prove that this situation was the result of a terrible, tragic accident, and that our client was not guilty.

Client Found Not Guilty of Reckless Manslaughter

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