10 Best Criminal Defense Attorneys in Statesville, NC

This guide compares 10 criminal defense attorneys and law firms that represent clients in Statesville and Iredell County, North Carolina. Firms were evaluated on professional background (including time spent as a prosecutor), how much of the practice is devoted to criminal and DWI defense versus other areas, how long the lawyers have practiced, and how closely the firm is tied to the Iredell County courts, where most district and superior court matters are heard at the courthouse at 226 Stockton Street in Statesville.

When comparing options, three practical questions matter most: does the attorney appear regularly in Iredell County courts, has the attorney seen how the State builds a case from the prosecution side, and does the firm also handle the DMV and license issues that run alongside a DWI charge.

Quick View: Top 3 Criminal Defense Attorneys in Statesville, NC

Here is the list of criminal defense attorneys in Statesville, NC:

1. Ashley Cannon, Attorney at Law

• Attorney/Key Figure: Ashley Cannon, Founder
• Headquarters: 140 E Water St, Statesville, NC 28677
• Website: ashleycannonlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Criminal defense exclusively (drug crimes, white collar crimes, assault and battery, domestic violence, murder and homicide, DWI/DUI, traffic violations, gun crimes)
• Firm Size: Boutique criminal defense practice

About the Firm: Ashley Cannon is a former prosecutor. She became an Assistant District Attorney in Durham County in 2005 and later prosecuted in Orange, Chatham, Iredell, Davidson, Davie and Alexander Counties, trying hundreds of cases involving DWI, drug crimes, gun crimes, domestic violence, larceny and assault. She is a member of the criminal defense section of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice.

Her prosecution record in Iredell and the neighboring counties means she has handled cases from the other side of the courtroom in the same venues where she now defends clients. The practice is limited to criminal defense, and it takes on serious matters including homicide as well as DWI and traffic charges.

2. The Law Office of Michael D. Cleaves

• Attorney/Key Figure: Michael D. Cleaves, Founder
• Headquarters: 129 N Green St, Statesville, NC 28677
• Website: cleaveslawfirm.com
• Practice Areas: Criminal defense (DUI/DWI, violent crimes, drug crimes, theft, assault), traffic and speeding violations, personal injury, workers’ compensation
• Firm Size: Small firm serving Iredell, Davie, Rowan and Catawba Counties

About the Firm: Michael Cleaves founded his Statesville practice and has built it around criminal defense and traffic work in Iredell County and the surrounding counties of Davie, Rowan and Catawba. Clients and colleagues on Avvo describe the firm as a familiar presence in the Iredell County legal community, and it also takes cases in nearby Mocksville, Taylorsville and Mooresville.

The firm is a practical fit for people facing both a criminal charge and a related traffic matter, since speeding and traffic violations are handled alongside DWI and drug cases. Having a single office manage the full range of charges from one arrest keeps the strategy consistent across the cases.

3. Griffin Law, PLLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Jonathan D. Griffin, Founding Attorney
• Headquarters: 321 N Center St, Statesville, NC 28677 (also serves Mooresville)
• Website: jgriffinlawyer.com
• Practice Areas: Criminal defense (DWI including underage DUI and DMV hearings, drug crimes, assault, theft and property crimes, traffic tickets including suspended license and reckless driving, expungements, failure to appear), family law
• Firm Size: Boutique firm serving Iredell and Alexander Counties

About the Firm: Griffin Law is led by Jonathan Griffin, a Statesville attorney who has practiced for more than two decades according to Avvo’s DWI directory. The firm represents people in Iredell County and Alexander County on both criminal and family matters.

What sets Griffin Law apart on criminal cases is the breadth of its DWI and driving-related work. The firm handles underage DUI and DMV hearings, suspended license charges and failure-to-appear problems, which are the administrative side issues that often decide whether a client can keep driving while a case is pending. It also offers help with first-offense and deferred prosecution outcomes.

4. Parker, Parker & Pittman

• Attorney/Key Figure: T. Clay Pittman, Attorney
• Headquarters: 224 Davie Ave, Statesville, NC 28677 (additional office in Taylorsville)
• Website: piedmontlawyers.com
• Practice Areas: Criminal defense (DWI, misdemeanors, felonies, sex crimes, domestic violence), family law, civil litigation, real estate litigation, estate litigation, business law, eminent domain
• Firm Size: Multi-attorney firm with roots in the Alexander County bar dating to 1979

About the Firm: Parker, Parker & Pittman serves the Lake Norman, Piedmont and Foothills regions from its Statesville and Taylorsville offices. The firm’s criminal practice includes attorney Clay Pittman, who spent four years as an Assistant District Attorney in Salisbury and helped set up a dedicated DWI trial court there, trying cases that ranged from traffic offenses to homicides before moving to defense work in 2022.

That prosecutor-turned-defender background is the firm’s clearest advantage on DWI cases, because it comes with direct experience of how the State prepares and tries impaired driving charges. Because the firm also handles civil litigation and family law, clients with overlapping legal problems can stay with one team.

5. Lassiter & Lassiter

• Attorney/Key Figure: T. Michael Lassiter Jr., Attorney
• Headquarters: 115 N Center St, Statesville, NC 28677 (additional office in Mooresville)
• Phone: (704) 873-2295
• Website: lassiterandlassiter.com
• Practice Areas: Criminal law (DWI/DUI, felonies and misdemeanors, traffic violations, domestic violence defense, drug crimes, expungements), family law, estate planning, probate, real estate
• Firm Size: Family-run general practice serving Iredell County and the Lake Norman area

About the Firm: Lassiter & Lassiter is one of Statesville’s long-running family practices. Michael Lassiter Jr. joined the firm of his father, Mike Lassiter Sr., in 1994, and the two practiced together until the elder Lassiter retired in 2008. Michael Lassiter Jr. has been licensed in North Carolina since 1991, and his criminal work spans DWI, felony and misdemeanor charges, and traffic matters.

The firm’s strength is continuity and local familiarity. Criminal clients are served by a lawyer who also handles expungements afterward, so a case that ends in a dismissal or reduced charge can be followed by clearing the record. With offices in both Statesville and Mooresville, the firm covers both Iredell County courthouse locations.

6. Ralston Benton Byerley & Moore

• Attorney/Key Figure: Ralston Benton Byerley & Moore attorneys
• Headquarters: 335 N Center St, Statesville, NC 28677 (additional offices in Mooresville, Taylorsville and Hickory)
• Phone: (704) 878-0757
• Website: rbbmlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Criminal defense, family law, personal injury, workers’ compensation, real estate closings, business law
• Firm Size: Multi-office, multi-attorney firm serving Iredell, Alexander and Catawba Counties

About the Firm: Ralston Benton Byerley & Moore operates four offices across Iredell, Alexander and Catawba Counties, with its main office in downtown Statesville. Local listings describe the firm as serving clients in Iredell, Alexander and Davie Counties on DWI and criminal defense cases.

The firm’s multi-office footprint is practical for people who live in Mooresville, Taylorsville or Hickory but have a case in Statesville, since they can meet with the firm close to home. Criminal clients also benefit from having family, real estate and injury attorneys in the same firm when a charge creates other legal needs.

7. Law Offices of Bill J. Baity, Jr.

• Attorney/Key Figure: Bill J. Baity Jr., Member Manager
• Phone: (704) 881-0010
• Website: baitylaw.com
• Headquarters: Baity Centre, 910 Crossroads Dr, Statesville, NC 28625
• Practice Areas: Criminal defense, serious felonies, misdemeanors, DWI, traffic matters
• Firm Size: Small criminal defense firm

About the Firm: Bill Baity runs a criminal defense practice from the Baity Centre on Crossroads Drive. His Avvo profile describes areas of concentration that include serious felonies, misdemeanors, DWI and traffic matters, and notes more than two decades in practice.

Avvo reviews from past clients regularly mention DWI dismissals and criminal charges handled in court, and the firm is also a common choice for speeding and traffic tickets. The practice sits on the Crossroads Drive side of Statesville rather than downtown, which is a small convenience for clients coming from the I-77 and I-40 corridor.

8. Arnold & Smith, PLLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Matthew R. Arnold and J. Bradley Smith, Partners
• Headquarters: 200 N McDowell St, Charlotte, NC 28204 (Lake Norman office at 645 Carpenter Ave, Mooresville, NC 28115; also Monroe and Ballantyne)
• Phone: (704) 370-2828, available 24 hours a day
• Website: arnoldsmithlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Criminal defense (DWI/DUI, drug crimes, violent crimes, sex offenses, property crimes, domestic violence, expungements, weapon charges), traffic citations, family law, personal injury, business litigation, appellate law
• Firm Size: Mid-size Charlotte-area firm with four offices

About the Firm: Arnold & Smith is a Charlotte-based firm that serves Iredell County, including Statesville and Mooresville, through its Lake Norman office. Its Statesville page notes the firm’s familiarity with the Iredell County Courthouse, the Mooresville annex courthouse and the federal courthouse at 200 West Broad Street in Statesville. The firm displays Super Lawyers recognition for both Matthew Arnold and J. Bradley Smith and lists a board certified specialist designation from the North Carolina State Bar.

The firm’s depth is the draw, since it offers 24-hour availability, Spanish-language service and a team large enough to take on complex and serious cases. The trade-off is that its closest office to Statesville is in Mooresville rather than in Statesville itself.

9. Morris & Fox, Attorneys at Law, PLLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Tom Morris and Heather Fox, Founding Partners
• Headquarters: 229 Davie Ave, Statesville, NC 28677
• Phone: (704) 218-9006
• Website: morrisfoxlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Felony and misdemeanor defense, DWI, traffic tickets, juvenile delinquency, domestic violence protective order (50B) defense, family law
• Firm Size: Boutique firm of two founding partners

About the Firm: Morris & Fox was founded by Tom Morris and Heather Fox, who serve clients in Iredell, Alexander, Mecklenburg and Rutherford Counties from their Statesville office and appear in both state and federal court. Tom Morris concentrates on high-level felonies, particularly cases headed for jury trial, and leads the firm’s juvenile delinquency work. His background includes a law school placement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia, where he helped prosecute cases ranging from misdemeanors to tax evasion. Heather Fox handles criminal cases at every level in district and superior court and runs the firm’s traffic ticket program aimed at protecting clients’ driver’s licenses.

The firm’s DWI practice covers the full range of North Carolina sentencing levels, from Level Three cases to Aggravated Level One cases involving serious bodily injury. It also defends domestic violence protective order violations, which North Carolina treats as a Class A1 misdemeanor. As a two-partner firm, it offers direct attorney access but a smaller bench than the larger Charlotte-area firms on this list.

10. The Law Office of Bryan A. Corbett, PLLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Bryan A. Corbett, Founding Attorney
• Headquarters: 328 E Broad St, Suite A, Statesville, NC 28677
• Phone: (704) 266-0737
• Website: corbett-law.com
• Practice Areas: Criminal defense (felonies and misdemeanors), DWI and traffic offenses, domestic violence, family law and divorce, mediation

About the Firm: Bryan Corbett served as a District Court Judge for Iredell and Alexander Counties from January 2021 to March 2025, presiding over criminal, traffic, juvenile and family matters. Before taking the bench he was managing partner at Harbinson, Brzykcy & Corbett, LLP, leading a general trial practice with a focus on family law and criminal defense. He is also a certified family financial mediator through the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission.

His judicial service is the main reason to consider the firm, since few defense lawyers have spent four years hearing the same kinds of criminal and traffic cases in the same courts. The firm offers free consultations for criminal, traffic and DWI charges. Criminal defense shares the practice with family law and mediation, so the firm is not exclusively focused on criminal work.

Statesville, NC Criminal Defense Resources

• Iredell County Clerk of Superior Court: Provides access to court records, case filings, and court-related services for criminal cases in Iredell County.
• North Carolina Judicial Branch: Offers information about criminal court proceedings, court calendars, legal forms, and state court procedures.
• Iredell County Sheriff’s Office: Provides law enforcement information, arrest-related resources, and public safety updates.
• Statesville Police Department: Offers information about local law enforcement services, public safety, and police-related matters.
• North Carolina General Assembly: Provides access to North Carolina statutes covering criminal offenses, penalties, and criminal procedure.
• North Carolina Department of Adult Correction: Offers information about incarceration, probation, parole, and correctional services.
• North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services: Provides information about public defense services and eligibility for court-appointed counsel.

Understanding Statesville, NC Criminal Defense Court Procedures

• Arrest and Booking: After an arrest, the defendant is processed and informed of the alleged criminal charges.
• Initial Appearance and Bond: A magistrate or judge addresses release conditions, bond, and the defendant’s rights.
• Court Proceedings: The case proceeds through the appropriate court, depending on the offense and its severity.
• Probable Cause Hearing: Certain felony cases may require a hearing to determine whether sufficient evidence supports moving forward.
• Arraignment and Plea: The defendant enters a plea, and plea negotiations may occur before trial.
• Pretrial Preparation: Attorneys review evidence, interview witnesses, and file motions to challenge legal or evidentiary issues.
• Trial: Misdemeanors are generally tried in District Court, while felony trials take place in Superior Court.
• Sentencing and Appeals: If convicted, the defendant may be sentenced and may have the right to appeal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are criminal cases heard in Statesville, NC?

Most district and superior court matters in Iredell County are heard at the Iredell County Courthouse at 226 Stockton Street in Statesville, and the county also has an annex courthouse in Mooresville at 610 E Center Ave. Federal criminal matters arising in Statesville are handled either at the Western District of North Carolina courthouse at 200 West Broad Street in Statesville or at the federal courthouse in Charlotte. Firms like Ashley Cannon, Attorney at Law and Parker, Parker & Pittman handle state court work, while larger firms such as Arnold & Smith also work across the Charlotte-area courts.

Should I hire a former prosecutor to defend a criminal charge?

A former prosecutor knows how the State evaluates evidence, builds a case and negotiates, which can help in both plea discussions and trial. Ashley Cannon spent years as an Assistant District Attorney, including in Iredell County, and Clay Pittman of Parker, Parker & Pittman prosecuted in Salisbury and helped establish a dedicated DWI trial court there. Prosecutorial experience is one useful factor, not a requirement, since many strong defense lawyers have built their reputations entirely on the defense side.

What happens to my license after a DWI charge in North Carolina?

In North Carolina a DWI arrest can trigger a civil license revocation separate from the criminal case, and a conviction brings its own penalties. Firms such as Griffin Law, PLLC handle DMV hearings and license issues alongside the criminal charge, and Lassiter & Lassiter handles DWI, traffic violations and expungements together. Asking whether a firm manages the license side as well as the court case is one of the most practical questions to put to any lawyer.

Is a general practice firm or a dedicated criminal defense firm better?

It depends on the case. A dedicated criminal defense practice, such as Ashley Cannon’s, concentrates all of its time on charges like drug offenses, homicide and DWI. A general practice firm such as Ralston Benton Byerley & Moore or the Law Office of Michael D. Cleaves can be a better fit when a criminal charge overlaps with a family, injury or workers’ compensation issue, because one office can coordinate everything.

Do I need a Statesville lawyer if my charge is in Mooresville or another part of Iredell County?

Not necessarily, since Iredell County’s courts sit in both Statesville and Mooresville and many local firms cover the whole county. Lassiter & Lassiter has offices in both cities, Ralston Benton Byerley & Moore has an office in Mooresville in addition to Statesville, and Arnold & Smith serves the county through its Mooresville office.

Can a criminal charge in North Carolina be cleared from my record later?

North Carolina allows expunction of certain dismissed charges and some eligible convictions, depending on the offense and the person’s history. Several Statesville firms list expungement work among their services, including Lassiter & Lassiter and Griffin Law, PLLC, and Arnold & Smith lists expungement requests as part of its criminal defense practice.

Disclaimer: This article, “10 Best Criminal Defense Attorneys in Statesville, NC,” is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an attorney referral. The list is not ranked or sponsored, and the inclusion of any law firm or attorney does not imply endorsement by or affiliation with this publication beyond what is expressly stated. Attorney qualifications, areas of practice, case results, and contact information may change over time. Readers are encouraged to verify all details directly with the respective law firms before making a hiring decision. Any past case results or achievements mentioned do not guarantee similar outcomes in future cases.