Kathleen McCleary Bogenschutz

After 12 years as a prosecutor, 8 specializing in sex crimes, 1 in gun crimes, I moved to criminal defense.  Tallahassee and surrounding counties.  120+ jury trials.  I spent nearly four years honing my skills in private criminal defense before starting my own firm.  

I was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, FL, where I graduated Pine Crest Preparatory School with both AP and National Merit honors. I attended William and Mary for college where I was active in the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, and multiple other on-campus groups.

At Nova Southeastern University Law School, I co-founded the Criminal Law Society, competed on 3 trial teams and one Moot Court team, received the highest grade (book award) in Criminal Procedure, and was the school's scholarship law student to the national AAJ convention. In my third year, I was a certified legal intern at the Broward State Attorney’s Office, trying six jury trials before I graduated law school.

Following my bar passage in the Fall of 2009, I was hired at the Broward State Attorney’s Office. Over the nearly-nine years I spent there, I handled and tried a litany of criminal charges. After four years prosecuting general crimes (DUIs through and including attempted murder), I was promoted to the specialized sex crimes and child abuse unit where I stayed for over four years. The cases in this unit were often high profile, and covered in both local and national news. Always interested in the sciences, I became highly proficient in DNA evidence as well as toxicology while assigned to the sex crimes and child abuse unit. As a special assignment, I managed to gain an indictment on an extremely high profile child homicide case despite the Medical Examiner official opinion of an “undetermined cause of death” after retaining experts in a rare genetic disorder. I finished my eight year tenure in Broward in the 10-20-Life (“gun” unit), where I presented ballistic and medical evidence in court handling both attempted and completed homicide cases. I am well-versed in all manner of forensic evidence, particularly those that relate to violent crimes and blood chemistry.

Upon moving to Tallahassee, I was barred in both the Middle and Northern Districts of Florida, and joined the State Attorney’s Office for the Second Judicial Circuit. In the three years I spent there, I was designated to prosecute approximately one quarter of the sex crimes that occurred in Leon County, which is the home of both Florida State University and Florida A&M University. I also handled numerous homicides and attempted homicides during my tenure.

In addition to my caseload, I volunteered to teach continuing education classes to prosecutors around the state on the topics of domestic violence and sex crimes. To date, I have handled thousands of cases in multiple jurisdictions and tried over 130 jury trials to verdict. I am proficient in motion practice and have handled and won at least four complicated “Stand Your Ground” motions. As my firm’s “resident millennial,” I am technologically proficient, a talent honed even further with the utilization of cell phone and computer evidence at trial in recent years.

In April 2021, I was recruited to join Jansen & Davis after spending the first twelve years of my career as a prosecutor. I was utilized to defend sex crimes cases, as it can be exceedingly useful to have a female on the defense team.  (Picture a male defendant and male defense attorneys beating up on a female victim--juries don't like it).  I was also handling the full caseload of misdemeanor DUIs for the firm.

Recently, I decided to fulfill a lifelong dream and open my own firm.  Bogenschutz PLLC focuses on criminal defense and injunctions.  I love having the freedom to turn down cases. If a client hires me to represent them, they will be represented by me in court--there is no brand new lawyer I will assign to you.  You hire me; you get me.  

Running a volume business is anathema to being a truly good criminal defense attorney.  Asking how many cases are open per attorney in a firm is a good gauge as to whether a firm is even able to give you the attention you need.  Public defenders, who are usually assigned to a single county, courtroom, and judge, are recommended to handle no more than 150 felonies per year.  Consider that recommendation in determining whether your attorney can meet your needs.