Attorneys & Staff

Director - Felony Division

John Kennedy is an outstanding lawyer in our Felony Division. On Monday, he won the title of "King of the Jungle" for getting a complete acquittal of all charges on behalf of his client by way of a jury. John will keep the title for however long it takes another attorney to win it away. In addition to the title, a statue of a lion moves to the desk of the title holder. Who knows? Maybe the title will move today! John defended Timothy Cottingham (B1802886) on charges of aggravated robbery (with gun specs), robbery and weapon under disability. The trial started last week. Testimony lasted a couple days. The jury was out for around three hours, two of which were spent waiting for a computer to play three of the exhibits, before reaching it's verdict Monday. The basic allegations were that Mr. Cottingham got into the back of a Lyft driver's car and robbed him of his wallet. The case came down to the reliability/credibility of the Lyft driver --- who also happened to be a licensed attorney. The jury did not find his identification of Mr. Cottingham and his description of the incident credible. Several legal issues arose during the trial. With the help of our Appellate Division, John was thoroughly prepared for them, dug in and stood his ground. Nothing unusual at all about that when John tries a case. John is at the top of the list when we talk about preparation for trial. Raymond T. Faller Hamilton County Public Defender