James Wesley Smith III

James Wesley Smith III

4.5
Rating: 6.3

Licensed for 30 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Orlando, FL
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, White Collar Crime, Military Law ... +2 more

201 E Pine St Ste 445, Orlando, FL

About James

Practice Areas

5

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense 30%

Criminal defense in state, federal, and military courts. Particular emphasis on sexual assault allegations. Also providing defense in appeals/

32 years | 500 cases

30%
White Collar Crime 30%

Fraud, tax offenses, theft, embezzlement, computer crimes

32 years | 250 cases

30%
Military Law 20%

I served in the United States Army JAG Corps for eight years. Former military prosecutor, military defense counsel, and senior military defense counsel. Experienced in courts-martial defense and adverse administrative actions

32 years | 160 cases

20%
Family 10%

Martial separation agreements, time sharing, child custody, and divorce.

32 years | 200 cases

10%
Litigation 10%

Experienced litigator in state, federal, and military courts. Capable of handing trials and appeals.

32 years | 500 cases

10%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


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Licenses

Licensed in Florida for 21 years

State: Florida

Acquired: 2005

Member in Good Standing - Disciplinary Proceeding Pending

Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2021

Licensed in South Carolina for 30 years

State: South Carolina

Acquired: 1995

Suspended - Administrative

Location

Law Offices of James Wesley Smith III

201 E Pine St Ste 445, Orlando, FL, 32801-2717

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James Wesley Smith III's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.5 /5.0

41 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (41) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 16 - 20 of 41 reviews

Posted by anonymous | January 21, 2021 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Charges dropped

Mr Smith worked for my son arrested during the George Floyd protest. He was charged with assault on an officer. I had called other lawyers who had agreed to handle protest arrest pro Bono but when they heard everything they begin to tally up a high high bill. I called Mr Smith and told him the case a...nd said “I’ll take it and I won’t charge you”. I couldn’t believe my ears. Let me tell you he fought my son before it even went to trial. I thank God for Attorney James Wesley Smith III, a lawyer who will fight for you.

Posted by anonymous | January 13, 2021

Lawyer does not return calls

I called attorney smith because I thought he could be a good lawyer, and maybe he is. However, men on earth have to have mans word. On January Wednesday January 13 2021, I gave him a call about a potential case that I needed his help he stated he was going to call me after he had a very important din...ner. Maybe If I would have told him that I had 10,000 dollars would make a difference which I have. Nonetheless, he never call me as he stated he will. Before calling this attorney make sure you tell him upfront how much money you have so that he will give you attention

Posted by Larru | December 29, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Charges Dropped!

Did what he needed to do to get my brother's charges dropped. Thanks to James, brother was freed just before Christmas and was able to be home with the family.

Posted by Brian | November 24, 2020 | Hired Attorney

Great attorney!

James provided great legal advice and representation. His advice was straightforward and meaningful, and I appreciate his work. I will certainly recommend using James in the future!

Posted by Tabitha | September 28, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Securities & Investment Fraud

Intelligent and resourceful

I recently reached out to Mr. James Smith, just to see if he could point me in the right direction, or enlighten me with some knowledge about an investment gone wrong situation I was tangled up in . He was there in the beginning just to give me some advice and then I ended up hiring him due to bei...ng a victim in a fraudulent investment transaction with a close friend of mine . Mr. Smith helped me get on the right path to get my money back and came up with a settlement agreement that my old partner agreed upon allowing me to get back my original funds in a more timely manner than I was capable alone ! James kept in contact daily and was always there to answer any questions I had along the way , we reached out to different federal agents to help out with fraudulent activity questions and even hired a private investigator to see what kind of person really had I been financially involved with , he is resourceful and always had a different plan of attack when we couldn’t get him to settle . At this point my agreement contract is working out smoothly thank you to Mr. Smith . He is so caring and compassionate and understanding and made me feel like I was Always speaking to him as a friend not some one that I was paying to do work for me ! He came out on top For me and worked everything out in a timely manner . I would recommend him to any one in the future in addition to hiring him again !

See All Client Reviews

James Wesley Smith III's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse James
Rahul Y Parikh headshot
Rahul Parikh

Criminal defense lawyer | Oct 05

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Mr. Smith is a former JAG attorney who has made a clear mark on Orlando's criminal defense community. He is a skilled litigator and a formidable shield between the accused and the government. I highly recommend him for any State or Federal case. You'd be lucky to have him in your corner."

Yadirah M Rodriguez headshot
Yadirah Rodriguez

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 27

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"I endorse this lawyer."

Steven Harry Meyer headshot
Steven Meyer

Criminal defense lawyer | Feb 21

Relationship: Co-worker

"James is one of the top criminal defense attorneys in Florida. His analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of a case, and his trial skills, are superb. I give him the highest possible recommendation."

Tony Pagan Jr. headshot
Tony Pagan

Unknown lawyer | Dec 01

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I highly endorse this lawyer. From his outstanding professorial skills to his mastery of both criminal and civil litigation, James Smith is an exemplary attorney."

Joy Ragan Knight headshot
Joy Knight

Criminal defense lawyer | Sep 28

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"James is the best of the best. I wholeheartedly endorse him for any Federal or State criminal case."

David L. Haas headshot
David Haas

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 04

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"A skilled advocate, a smart tactitian, and a loyal counsel - James always had his client's interests at the forefront of his concerns."

Aaron Baghdadi headshot
Aaron Baghdadi

Criminal defense lawyer | Oct 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"James Smith is one of the most experienced and reputable attorneys in Orlando."

Ruth E Singer headshot
Ruth Singer

Criminal defense lawyer | Dec 02

Relationship: Friend

"I wholeheartedly endorse James Smith. His experience and accomplishments in the area of criminal defense are superb. He is also smart, extremely talented, and a very caring attorney."

View All Endorsements
Yadirah M Rodriguez headshot
Yadirah Rodriguez

Criminal defense lawyer

Rahul Y Parikh headshot
Rahul Parikh

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  6.3 (Good)

Professional misconduct

This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2021.

Admonishment issued in FL, 2021

updated on 04/27/2022

An admonition means an attorney did something wrong but may still practice law. The Bar gives the lawyer an admonition in hopes that he or she will not repeat the behavior.

Public Reprimand issued in FL, 2020

updated on 03/24/2021

Public reprimand means the attorney did something wrong but may still practice law. The Bar warns the lawyer in hopes that he or she will not repeat the behavior. Details of the infraction are made part of the public record.

Honors

2015

President's Award, Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

2007

Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

Work Experience

2014 - Present

Partner, CPLS, P.A.

2007 - 2014

Public Defender, Office of the Federal Public Defender

2003 - 2007

Professor, Florida A&M University College of Law

1995 - 2003

Prosecuting Attorney, United States Army Judge Advocate General Corps.

Associations

2005 - Present

Florida Bar

Member

Orange County Bar Association

Member

Paul C. Perkins Bar Association

Member

Education

1994

Duke University School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1994

Duke University

MA - Masters

1991

Hampton University

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2018

TRIAL PRACTICE INSTITUTE

Faculty

2018

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Fall Meeting

Veterans Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System

2017

TRIAL PRACTICE INSTITUTE

Faculty

2014

Criminal Law Certification 2014

FEDERAL PRACTICE

Languages

English

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 was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2021
    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
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