Serious Felony Defense in Reno and Across Nevada
Selected defense of serious Nevada felonies, including violent offenses, weapon-enhanced allegations, trafficking-level drug matters, and complex multi-defendant prosecutions.
A serious Nevada felony defense begins with the charged category, alleged enhancements, custody status, forum, evidence, and procedural stage. The practice accepts selected category A and B matters and other complex felonies whose potential sentence, collateral consequences, or trial demands justify a full preparation model. It does not handle DUI cases, misdemeanors, or routine possession matters.
A selective practice for cases with substantial exposure
This page is the commercial owner for serious felony matters that do not fit the more specific murder, capital, sexual-assault, or federal pages. The category includes selected battery and weapon cases, trafficking-level state drug prosecutions, kidnapping and robbery allegations, and complex prosecutions involving several defendants or extensive evidence.
A charge label does not determine acceptance by itself. The practice evaluates the potential sentence and collateral consequences, legal and factual complexity, likely expert or investigative work, trial calendar, conflicts, and current capacity.
- Category A and B violent-felony prosecutions
- Battery or other serious offenses involving a deadly weapon or substantial bodily harm
- Trafficking-level Nevada drug prosecutions
- Robbery, kidnapping, and complex multi-count matters
- Multi-defendant cases and serious pre-charge investigations
The base offense and enhancement theory must be separated
Nevada felony exposure is defined by the statute charging the underlying offense, the felony category, and any separately alleged enhancement. NRS 193.130 describes the general categories and punishment structure, while individual chapters supply offense-specific elements and ranges.
NRS 193.165 addresses an additional term when a deadly weapon is used in the commission of specified crimes, subject to the statute’s requirements. Serious battery allegations are defined and punished under NRS 200.481. Drug cases arise under Chapter 453 and may turn on the substance, alleged weight, possession theory, intent, search, attribution among defendants, and the provision actually charged.
Because Nevada statutes change, the current text and filed charging document must be read together. This page does not substitute a general category label for that analysis.
- NRS 193.130 ↗General felony categories and punishment framework.
- NRS 193.165 ↗Additional penalty provisions concerning use of a deadly weapon.
- NRS 200.481 ↗Battery definitions and offense-specific penalty provisions.
- NRS Chapter 453 ↗Nevada controlled-substance offenses and penalties.
Justice court, district court, and the record between them
A Washoe County felony may begin with an arrest and appearance in Reno or Sparks Justice Court, followed by a preliminary examination unless the matter proceeds by indictment or the examination is waived. A case bound over continues in the Second Judicial District Court. Elsewhere in Nevada, the corresponding justice and district courts perform those roles.
Release, preliminary-hearing discovery, witness examination, charging amendments, and preservation choices occur before district-court trial motions. The defense must decide which issues to develop early and which require a later evidentiary record.
Once in district court, discovery, suppression and other motions, expert work, negotiations, jury selection, trial, and sentencing are prepared as connected stages. In a multi-defendant case, the record may also raise attribution, severance, statements of other defendants, and differing trial theories.
- NRS 171.196 ↗Preliminary-examination framework.
- NRS 178.4849 ↗Pretrial release hearing within 48 hours, subject to the statute’s exceptions and continuances.
- NRS Chapters 174 / 175 ↗Procedure before trial and on trial in Nevada criminal cases.
Serious-felony work can begin at the investigation stage
An investigation may become visible through a detective interview request, search warrant, seizure, grand-jury subpoena, or contact with another participant. Counsel can identify the posture, address investigator communications where appropriate, preserve evidence, and prepare for the likely charging paths.
Early representation does not support a promise that charges will be avoided. The useful first step is a limited conflict-and-timing inquiry, not a detailed online statement about the events under investigation.
Treat every accepted felony as a potential trial
The practice applies the same preparation principle across serious felonies: examine the charging theory, build the discoverable record, investigate lawful defense leads, identify expert issues, litigate the motions that matter, and prepare the jury questions before relying on a negotiated outcome.
That does not mean every case is tried. It means that discussions about resolution occur against a record developed by counsel who is prepared to try the matter if required.
Frequently Asked
A serious-felony inquiry should establish scope quickly.
Provide the person, charge or investigation type, county and court, custody, next date, conflict-check names, and contact information. Detailed facts come after conflict review.