Mark Stephens pursues favorable outcomes on behalf of his clients just as aggressively as he has pursued depth of experience in his law career.
An Early Start in Criminal Law
Even prior to passing the summer 1996 bar exam, Mr. Stephens was deeply involved in the pursuit of justice on behalf of the accused. Beginning with summer internships at the Northwest Defenders Association, a public defender law firm in Seattle, under a "Rule 9" limited license, Mark conducted six criminal jury trials, and provided research, writing and support in dozens of felony cases. He also brought more than 100 criminal cases to resolution, with only minor supervision from practicing attorneys in the office.
Public Defender
In December, 1996, Mark began work at the Snohomish County Public Defenders' Office, carrying more than 100 open misdemeanor cases at any given time, representing clients in all four divisions of that district court system. In the summer of 1998, he was promoted to a felony caseload, handling 40 to 60 cases, at a time, with maximum penalties ranging from a few years in prison to "life without parole." Mark tried upwards of 40 cases to jury during his time as a public defender.
Felony Appeals
In 2001, Mark began performing independent criminal defense contract work for Snohomish County, as well as filing felony appeals with the Washington State Court of Appeals. With his work at the Washington Appellate Project, Mark gained invaluable insight into the appeals process. He garnered favorable results in many cases, including a 9-0 reversal of a felony assault case at the Washington State Supreme Court. See State v. Redmond, 150 Wn. 2d 489 (2003). In July 2011, Mark achieved a 9-0 reversal in an appeal of Bothell v. Barnhart, a stalking case brought before the Washington State Supreme Court.
Diversified Experience
Between 2001 and 2002, Mark provided representation for indigent criminal defendants in felony probable cause hearings, community custody violation hearings, as well as negotiating "expedited" plea deals (from felony charges to misdemeanor plea bargains) in Everett District Court.
Private Criminal Law Practice
Since 2002, the Law Office of Mark R. Stephens has served the needs of people charged with crimes throughout the Puget Sound region, focusing on the felonies and misdemeanors, including DUI and domestic violence cases.
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To schedule a consultation regarding your criminal matter in Washington state, contact the law firm by phone or e-mail.
