Practice Areas and Credentials

CRIMINAL DEFENSE AND CRIMINAL APPEALS

Attorney Rexford maintains an aggressive practice in criminal defense, representing clients in all major felonies and misdemeanors, as well as appeals, both in Ohio courts and in federal court. He also provides representation in related matters, such as seeking ealy release, expungement of records, and restoration of the right to bear arms even with a felony. Juvenile Court representation is also offered.

DIVORCE AND FAMILY LAW

Attorney Rexford also helps many people with the difficulties of a divorce, as well as issues pertaining to child support, custody disputes, and the like.

JURISDICTIONS

Attorney Rexford represents people Statewide. In divorce cases, the practice is mainly limited to Allen County (Lima), Ohio. However, appellate practice is Statewide, including in federal court. Criminal defense practice is also Statewide, but with the majority of work done in Allen County (Lima), Hancock County (Findlay), Lucas County (Toledo), Auglaize County (Wapakoneta), Defiance County, Putnam County, Van Wert County, Hardin County, Mercer County, Paulding County, Seneca County, Wood County, Fulton County, Williams County, Logan County, and the Third and Sixth Districts in Ohio.

ADMISSIONS

Attorney Rexford is admitted to practice in all State courts in Ohio. He also is active in federal court in both the Northern District and Southern District in Ohio, as well as with the Sixth Circuit federal appellate court. He is one of only a small group of criminal appellate lawyers in the area admitted to the United States Supreme Court bar.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Kenneth J. Rexford, Esq., was admitted to the bar of the State of Ohio in 1995 after graduating from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. During the nearly two decades of law practice, attorney Rexford received the Claude E. Clarke award for outstanding criminal defense and criminal appellate service while practicing in Cleveland, Ohio. He relocated to Northwest Ohio in 2004 and continues to provide outstanding, aggressive representation, focusing on real people as his clients.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

"Unloaded" Weapon?

In Ohio, penalties attach when a weapon is carried improperly in a car.  Ohio law calls for the weapon to be "unloaded," which seems obviously to mean that you cannot fire the weapon and have a bullet shoot out.  However, common sense is not always applied in the law.  There have been disputes as to whether, for example, a gun with a clip, with the clip loaded but not in the gun, is "unloaded."  This might seem obvious, in that the clip being separated seems to mean "unloaded."  However, this is unclear.

The Ohio House has passed a bill to clear this up.  But, the Ohio Senate has not yet acted on this.  Hopefully, the State of Ohio will clear this matter up.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Senate Bill 337

September 28 is the date for Senate Bill 337 to take effect.  Among other things, that bill allows people to seek expungement of records that were previously not allowed to be sealed.  Under old law, if you had one felony case and one misdemeanor case (jailable), this usually meant that you could not seal your record.  Now, however, even two separate felony cases are usually eligible.  If anyone has such a situation, I can provide a specific analysis and handle seeking sealing of the record.  This has major impacts, of course, on seeking and maintaining good employment, especially in a bad economy.

The new law also, by the way, offers a path to clear the way for many licenses that might have been previously denied.  So, if you have been unable to do certain types of work because of a felony, this might also change, upon application.  Contact me to discuss this if you might be affected.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

New Options!

The Ohio Legislature has made some important and beneficial moves recently.  Among these are two improvements that may help a lot of people.

The first expands the ability to gain expungements.  Until recently, an old conviction from years ago could not be sealed is another even minor incident also occurred.  For instance, if a 40-year-old man were to seek the sealing of his record from a 20-year-old drug possession case, having been drug free for years, a simple parahpernalia charge (having rolling papers) on another day would bar that sealing of the record forever. Now, Ohio law allows two (2) convictions.  I am already starting to help people seal their records, and no longer be turned away from jobs, using this law.

The second allows people to seek restoration of their Second Amendment right to bear arms.  It seems rather silly to bar a man from ever hunting with his son simply because he in 1970-something smoked marijuana or stole over $500 while shoplifting.  People learn from their mistakes.  Good people have for years been frustrated in this, but Ohio now authorizes petitioning a judge and asking that sins from the past be forgiven, with the right to bear arms restored.  And, judges are doing this.

If either of these new laws would help you, give me a call!