Kelly O'Connell Attorney Las Cruces, New Mexico

Who Kelly O’Connell is

Kelly O’Connell is a criminal defense lawyer and author in Las Cruces, New Mexico. His office is at 200 S. Water Street, near the Third Judicial District Court and the Doña Ana County Magistrate Court. He was admitted to the New Mexico bar in {{BAR_ADMISSION_YEAR}}. He has been practicing law for {{YEARS_IN_PRACTICE}} years. Before opening his own practice he worked as an assistant district attorney, on the other side of the courtroom from where he stands now.

The work is DWI (what many people call DUI) and criminal defense. The clients are people charged in southern New Mexico who may never have been in a courtroom and do not know what happens next. His job is to tell them, and then to do something about it. He is a criminal defense lawyer Las Cruces clients hire for DWI, drug, assault, domestic violence, and sex-crime cases, and for the traffic tickets that put a license at risk.

Background

Kelly was born on the West Coast and raised in Las Vegas, and he attended the University of Oregon. After working for the Reformed Church in Galway, Ireland, he returned to the United States for law school in Virginia, where he earned a Juris Doctor and a master’s degree in government. He then spent time as a researcher and writer of academic articles at a law school in Miami, focusing on ancient law and society, and taught speech and debate at the university level. He returned West to work as an assistant district attorney before opening a small private practice in New Mexico. His profile is also on Avvo.

How he works a case

He investigates, not just negotiates

A police report is written by the officer who made the arrest. It is one version of events. On all serious cases, Kelly uses a trained private investigator, a former homicide and narcotics officer, to find the rest.

That means going back to the scene and locating the witnesses the police did not talk to. It means requesting body-camera and business video before it is overwritten. And it means checking the officer’s account against what the physical evidence shows. A case that has been investigated is a different case from one that has only been read.

He tells you the truth about your case

Some cases should be fought to trial. Some should be resolved early, on the right terms. You will hear which one yours is and why, in plain language, at the first meeting and again as the facts develop. You will not be told what you want to hear so that you sign. If the evidence is bad, you will know, and you will know what can still be done about it. If the evidence is weak, you will know that too.

One attorney, your case

Kelly O’Connell is the attorney who meets you, the attorney who appears at every hearing, and the attorney who returns your call. The firm’s goal is that the attorney you meet is the attorney in court with you. When you have a question at night before a court date, you are calling the person who will be standing with you in the morning.

Courts and places he practices

Kelly O’Connell is licensed in every New Mexico state court. In Las Cruces that means the Doña Ana County Magistrate Court, Las Cruces Municipal Court, and the Third Judicial District Court. Across southern New Mexico it means the magistrate and district courts in Deming, Alamogordo, Silver City, and Truth or Consequences, and clients from Vinton, Hatch, and Lordsburg. He also practices in federal court, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, which hears cases in Las Cruces.

If you found this page by searching Kelly O’Connell attorney Las Cruces and want to be sure you have the right office, here it is. The address is 200 S. Water Street, Las Cruces, NM 88001. The phone number is (575) 496-6359.

What he handles

• DWI defense, what many people search as DUI: first offense, repeat offense, aggravated DWI, refusal, under-21, and the MVD (Motor Vehicle Division) hearing that runs alongside the criminal case.
• CDL and trucker defense: commercial drivers charged with DWI or a serious traffic violation, where a conviction can end a career.
• Criminal defense: felonies and misdemeanors in magistrate, district, and federal court.
• Domestic violence: battery against a household member and orders of protection.
• Drug charges: possession, paraphernalia, possession with intent to distribute (the state says you meant to sell or share it), and trafficking.
• Assault and battery: simple and aggravated.
• Sex crimes: accusations that can put you on the sex offender registry and must be handled carefully from the first day.
• Traffic violations: tickets, points, license suspension, and driving on a revoked license.

What a free case evaluation covers

The first conversation is free, by phone or at the office. Bring the citation or complaint, any bond paperwork, the MVD notice of revocation if this is a DWI, and your court date if you have one. You will leave knowing what the charge is, what the statute allows the court to do, and what deadlines are running. You will also know how the fee would be set. It is quoted after the evaluation, once the facts are on the table, so you know the cost before you decide.

Cash, Visa, and Mastercard are accepted. If you would rather read what other clients have said first, the reviews page is being built as clients give written permission to share what they said. When you are ready, request a free case evaluation or call (575) 496-6359.