Michael J. Reece

Michael J. Reece

4.8
Rating: 9.2

Licensed for 31 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Smithfield, NC
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, Speeding & Traffic Ticket, Domestic Violence, Appeals

121 S. Third Street, PO Box 2747, Smithfield, NC

About Michael

Biography

Practice Areas

4

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense 50%

32 years | 2,000 cases

50%
Speeding and Traffic Ticket 40%

32 years | 10,000 cases

40%
Appeals 5%

28 years | 150 cases

5%
Domestic Violence 5%

32 years | 400 cases

5%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

Looking for an attorney? Avvo can help.

search module image

Search our directory

Quickly connect with top attorneys through our legal directory to get help with your legal issue.

chat module image

Avvo's live chat agents can help coordinate a consultation with a local attorney.

Chat with a live agent who can match you with the right attorney for your legal needs.

Chat with

Licenses

Licensed in North Carolina for 31 years

State: North Carolina

Acquired: 1994

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Law Offices of Michael J. Reece

121 S. Third Street, PO Box 2747, Smithfield, NC, 27577

Ad

Transform legal challenges into solutions.

Connect now to review your situation.

The Avvo Rating explained

display-bg

The Avvo Rating explained

Michael J. Reece's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.8 /5.0

34 Client Reviews

Showing 1 - 5 of 34 reviews

Posted by Dennis | October 31, 2022 | Hired Attorney | Speeding & Traffic Ticket

Profesional office

Pleasure to deal with Mr Reece and his office. Did wonderful job on my move over ticket. Would definitely hire again. But hopefully not.

Posted by Steve | February 08, 2022 | Hired Attorney | Speeding & Traffic Ticket

Impressed in New York

I contacted Mike about a ticket issued for failure to move over for an emergency vehicle, the fine with court costs was $440 with 4 points added to my NY license I retained Mike, paid him what I considered a more than modest fee and a few days later was pleasantly surprised to receive an email saying... that the ticket was dismissed with no fine or Court costs incurred. From first contact with Miss Louise, then speaking to Mike on the phone to having the ticket dismissed I'm impressed with the whole firm. Thank You Reece&Reece

Posted by anonymous | July 22, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

An amazing and caring lawyer

Mr. Reece has been my lawyer for ten years and I have acquired at least 10 cases with him and he has had every single case dismissed. He has always reached out to me in a caring manner and he has always been so good in the court room when it comes to fighting a case. He has gotten more than a few fel...onies and many misdemeanors of mine dropped.

Posted by Greg | May 21, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

best attorney I've ever used

I hired Mr. Reece in a Felony assault case that I knew was self-defense. Mr. Reece believed in me, represented me very aggressively, and I was found Not Guilty. this could have been devastating in my life. from start to finish I knew I made the right choice retaining his services. thank you Mr. R...eece.

Posted by Stacey | April 26, 2019 | Hired Attorney | DUI & DWI

Beyond pleased that we chose Mr. Reece for our case!

Our son who was living in NC at the time, was pulled over and was charged with a DWI. He was in the service at the time and was of course released from the service as a result of the DWI. After being released from the service he moved to TN to take a job. After moving to TN, he missed his first court... appearance and didn’t realized he had missed the court date. An FTA was issued as well as a warrant for his arrest. Upon realizing how much trouble our son was facing, we started looking for an attorney online. Mr. Reece had received numerous good reviews so my son contacted him and hired him to represent him. Within a day of hiring Mr. Reece, he had appeared on behalf of our son and had the warrant removed. That in itself was a massive relief. This was in late December. Fast forward to April...I drove my son to NC for his court date, as his out of state drivers license had been taken the night he was arrested. We sat in court all morning watching all the cases flow through the court room as we were the only trial case that day. Mr.Reece was a very busy man that day covering three court rooms and to be perfectly honest, I was very nervous that we had maybe hired the wrong person to represent our son. There had been very little communication between Mr. Reece and my son in the months leading up to the trial and the day of court we didn’t see him until it was almost time for his trial. This didn’t sit well with my personality, so I was starting to get very scared of the outcome of the trial. Mr. Reece went way above all of our expectations when the trial started though. He somehow managed to work his magic and get the prosecuting attorney flustered as well as the police officer on the stand. Mr. Reece knows the law very well, and although I was sitting in the court room completely confused of what was transpiring in front of me and not knowing the legal jargon, it didn’t matter because Mr. Reece had it all under control. The end result was dropped all the way down from a DWI to Failure to maintain lane. Our son was able to walk out of the court room, pay a very minimal fine for the Failure to maintain lane. He got his drivers license back, no massive hit on his car insurance premium, no classes to have to attend, no community hours to have do. Simply a small fine and a new lease on life!!! We SINCERELY couldn’t be more pleased with Mr. Reece and the job he did for our son! If you are reading this review because you are need of an attorney to represent you or s loved one and you are trying to find the right attorney to represent you, stop reading and call him!!! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!! We will forever be grateful to Mr. Reece!!!

See All Client Reviews

Michael J. Reece's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Michael
Thomas Christopher Bell headshot
Thomas Bell

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 26

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Mr. Reece is extremely knowledgeable in the areas of Criminal Law and Appeals, and he has established a stellar reputation among other attorneys. I endorse him as an attorney, and would recommend him to anyone looking for a zealous criminal defense attorney in the Johnston County area."

Samuel J. Randall IV headshot
Samuel Randall

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 30

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Maitri Klinkosum headshot
Maitri Klinkosum

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 02

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I have known Mike Reece since college and became re-acquainted with him when I returned to NC to practice law in 1998. Since that time, I have seen Mike grow into one of the most respected attorneys in the specialty of criminal defense. He has defended clients in cases ranging from misdemeanors to first-degree murder. His skills as a defense attorney have been apparent not only in trials, but also in his work on criminal appeals as well. Mike is never afraid of taking on the prosecution in defense of his clients. His work is top-notch and if I were in trouble I would want him on my side."

View All Endorsements
Douglas E. Portnoy headshot
Douglas Portnoy

Speeding and traffic ticket lawyer

Hayes S. Ludlum headshot
Hayes Ludlum

Criminal defense lawyer

Samuel J. Randall IV headshot
Samuel Randall

Criminal defense lawyer

Maitri Klinkosum headshot
Maitri Klinkosum

Criminal defense lawyer

Dionne Loy Fortner headshot
Dionne Fortner

Family lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.2 (Superb)

Honors

2013

Board Certified Specialist - State Criminal Law, North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization

2001

Volunteer Lawyer Award, East Central Community Legal Services

2000

Volunteer Lawyer Award, East Central Community Legal Services

1999

Volunteer Lawyer Award, East Central Community Legal Services

Work Experience

2010 - Present

Managing Partner, Reece & Reece

2001 - 2012

Partner, Woodruff, Reece & Fortner

2000 - 2001

Managing Partner, Reece & Reece

1996 - 2000

Member, Solo Practice

1994 - 1996

Associate, Spence & Spence

Associations

2013 - Present

National College of DUI Defense

Member

2002 - Present

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

2000 - Present

Johnston County Bar Association - Indigent Defense Committee

Chairman

1998 - Present

North Carolina Advocates for Justice

1994 - Present

North Carolina Bar Association

1994 - Present

North Carolina State Bar

1994 - Present

Johnston County Bar Association

Sample of Legal Cases

State of North Carolina v. [name withheld]

Found not guilty by jury

State of North Carolina vs. [name withheld]

Found not guilty by jury on two counts; 11-1 for acquittal on third.

See More Legal Cases

Education

1994

University of North Carolina School of Law

J.D., with honors

1991

North Carolina State University

B.S., cum laude

Speaking Engagements

2016

Successful District Court Practice

DWI Suppression Hearings in the District Court: Preparation of Suppression Orders and Protecting the Record

2012

The Mechanics of North Carolina Criminal Procedures

Ethical Considerations In Criminal Law

2012

The Mechanics of North Carolina Criminal Procedures

Plea Agreement Procedures, Pointers and Pitfalls

2009

Ethics Seminar - 11th District Bar

Ethics Roundtable

Publications

2012

The Mechanics of North Carolina Criminal Procedures Ethical Considerations in Criminal Law

2012

The Mechanics of North Carolina Criminal Procedures Plea Agreement, Procedures, Pointers & Pitfalls

Languages

English

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 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