J. Christopher Llinas

PRO

J. Christopher Llinas

5.0
Rating: 6.6

Licensed for 11 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Middletown, CT
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Immigration, Appeals

213 Court Street, Suite 604, Middletown, CT

This lawyer returned to good standing in 2014
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Virtual Consultation Available

About J. Christopher

Biography

Trouble with the law? Give me a call. I do criminal, DUI, traffic, and immigration removal defense, at both trial and on appeal, in both state and federal courts.

Trouble with the law? Give me a call. I do criminal, DUI, traffic, and immigration removal defense, at both trial and on appeal, in both state and federal courts.

Trouble with the law? Give me a call. I do criminal, DUI, traffic, and immigration removal defense, at both trial and on appeal, in both state and federal courts.

Trouble with the law? Give me a call. I do criminal, DUI, traffic, and immigration removal defense, at both trial and on appeal, in both state and federal courts. Beyond that, I serve as the Connecticut State Delegate for the National College of DUI Defense.

Trouble with the law? Give me a call. I do criminal, DUI, traffic, and immigration removal defense, at both trial and on appeal, in both state and federal courts.

Practice Areas

4

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense 35%

35%
DUI and DWI 35%

35%
Immigration 20%

20%
Appeals 10%

10%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer

Awards

Client's Choice
Client's Choice
2025 2024 2023
...
+ 1

Licenses

Licensed in Connecticut for 8 years

State: Connecticut

Acquired: 2017

Active

Licensed in Maryland for 11 years

State: Maryland

Acquired: 2014

Inactive - Retired

Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2007. Returned to good standing in 2014

Location

Iron Chris Criminal Defense & Immigration

213 Court Street, Suite 604, Middletown, CT, 06457

ironchris.com

Online Presence

Other places you can find J. Christopher online.

J. Christopher Llinas's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

51 Client Reviews

Showing 11 - 12 of 12 reviews | General Knowledge

Posted by Tony | May 03, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Business

Helping our business get started.

Chris was extremely professional, knowledgeable and proficient in getting our small business up and running from a legal perspective. He went out of his way, to explain the process thoroughly and keep the costs down for our fledgling enterprise. We would certainly use Chris again and highly recommend... him to other prospective clients. Tony.

Posted by anonymous | May 02, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Competent, Compassionate and Hardworking

Attorney J. Christopher Llinas represented me in a criminal matter in addition to a divorce proceeding. The criminal matter was very stressful. I had never run afoul of the law and suddenly found myself facing very serious charges. I believed in my innocence and needed an experienced attorney to ...help me navigate the process of clearing my name. He was responsible for bringing, what was in all respects, a nightmare to an end. He went above and beyond in representing me. He responded to every email and phone call with an urgency that I found reassuring. He also understood my frustrations, fears, anxiety and plain confusion. He walked me through the entire process while answering every question and concern I posed to him. I didn't always like what he had to say but his job was to tell me the truth, not what I wanted to hear. J. Christopher Llinas understands better than most people, just how quickly a person can end up in a difficult legal situation. He understands what you are going through and what you are feeling. He also knows exactly what he needs to do in order to help you. He knows his way around the courtroom and the justice system. He weighed all of the options. Once he considered my case from every angle, he told me which course of action he felt would produce the results I wanted. If you are in a crisis, I firmly believe there is no one better equipped to help you. Believe me when I tell you, this guy does not get rattled..by anything. In my case, he interviewed every potential witness that could be beneficial to my situation. Then he decided who would make the best witnesses and subpoenaed each of them. While doing this, he was working another angle with the accuser and eventually arranged a structured mediation where he designed an agreement allowing me to avoid criminal prosecution. Even though it worked out via mediation, he was fully prepared for trial had it become necessary. In a sense, he was simultaneously engaged in two separate defense bstrategies for me. Without his expertise, my life would have been drastically changed in a detrimental fashion from which I may not have recovered. I consider him to be an excellent attorney and one of the best all around people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I highly recommend him as an attorney. Your best interests will be his priority.

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J. Christopher Llinas's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse J. Christopher
Jonathan L Katz headshot
Jonathan Katz

Unknown lawyer | Jan 18

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"For years I have known Chris, who is a very knowledgable and able advocate. He also has an infectiously positive spirit, which clearly helps his both in and out of court. I recommend Chris's services."

John Kevin Phoebus headshot
John Phoebus

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 05

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Chris is one of the more intelligent and thoughtful criminal defense attorneys in our community. His experience doing appellate work complements his criminal defense practice by keeping him abreast of the latest developments in the law. He always goes the extra mile for his clients and gets solid results for them."

Thomas J. Maronick Jr headshot
Thomas Maronick

Administrative law lawyer | Jan 05

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Chris provides strong case analysis for his clients involving both case law and statute defenses that give them a strong advocate in their corner."

View All Endorsements
Richard John Brueckner Jr. headshot
Richard Brueckner

Criminal defense lawyer

John Kevin Phoebus headshot
John Phoebus

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  6.6 (Good)

Professional misconduct

This lawyer returned to good standing in 2014.

Reinstated from Disbarment issued in MD, 2014

updated on 09/27/2016

After being disbarred, a former attorney may apply for reinstatement. He or she must comply with all readmission requirements from the Client Protection Fund of the Bar of Maryland.

Disbarment by Consent issued in MD, 2007

updated on 07/05/2016

This means the attorney agreed to the charge of disbarment in order to avoid a formal hearing. "Disbarment" is the most serious penalty for a lawyer.

J. Christopher’s comment:

“Practiced criminal, DUI, and appellate law from 1999-2006, worked in a corporate setting from 2006-2014, and earned reinstatement to the Bar in 2014. If you want to know the story behind what happened, feel free to ask. I am a far better lawyer for the experience.”

Work Experience

2017 - Present

Owner/Lead Attorney, Llinas Law Immigration & Criminal Defense

2015 - 2017

Solo Practitioner, J. Christopher Llinas, Attorney at Law

2007 - 2015

Corporate Counsel, Royal Plus Inc.

2003 - 2006

Solo Practitioner, J. Christopher Llinas, P.A.

2003 - 2005

Professor, Salisbury University

2002 - 2003

Assistant State's Attorney, Worcester County State's Attorney's Office

1999 - 2002

Assistant Public Defender, Maryland Office Of The Public Defender

1998 - 1999

Legal Aid Attorney, Pine Tree Legal Assistance

1997 - 1998

Clerk to Justice Leigh Saufley, Maine Supreme Judicial Court

Associations

2022 - Present

Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association

Executive Board Member

2021 - Present

American Immigration Lawyers Association (Connecticut Chapter)

Chair, DMV Committee

2019 - Present

Admitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

Member

2019 - Present

United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

Member

2018 - Present

American Immigration Lawyers Association (New England Chapter)

Member

2018 - Present

Admitted to the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) otherwise known as the Immigration Courts, and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)

Member

2018 - Present

United States District Court for the District of Connecticut

Member

2018 - Present

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Member

2018 - Present

Executive Office of Immigration Review

Member

2018 - Present

Board of Immigration Appeals

Member

2018 - Present

Admitted to United States District Court for District of Connecticut

Member

2018 - Present

National College of DUI Defense

Connecticut State Delegate

2017 - Present

Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association

Member

2017 - Present

American Immigration Lawyers Association (Connecticut Chapter)

Treasurer

2017 - Present

American Immigration Lawyers Association

Member

2016 - Present

National College of DUI Defense

Member

2015 - Present

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Member

2014 - Present

Maryland State Bar Association

Member

American Immigration Lawyers Association

Budget Committee Member

2018 - 2018

Admitted to United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Member

1999 - 2006

Maryland State Bar Association

Member

1999 - 2006

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Member

1999 - 2006

Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys' Association

Member

1999 - 2006

Worcester County Bar Association

Member

Sample of Legal Cases

Al Amiri v. Rosen, 953 F.3d 1 (1st Cir. 2021)

Immigration Court and BIA decisions denying asylum claim vacated; Case remanded for further proceedings

See More Legal Cases

Education

1997

Franklin Pierce Law Center

JD - Juris Doctor

1989

Salisbury University

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Languages

English

Spanish

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline This lawyer returned to good standing in 2014 Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution