Mr. Holt assisted me in an OWI case where I was being charged with a class A misdemeanor along with a refusal of a field breathalyzer (doing so typically adds a mandatory additional year license suspension on top of your regular suspension sentence).
As I searched for a lawyer to represent me I f...ound many lawyers with limited years of experience, graduates from "branch colleges' as well as many not even based in this area offering their services. I am sole provider of a large family in a high paying job. I wanted the best representation possible as I was also facing a coming layoff and needed to ensure continued provision for my family as well as an ability to seek and maintain employment (no license would make this very difficult).
Mr. Holt offered many years of experience (30+ years), solid credentials/education, based in Hamilton County (his office is a 3 minute walk to the courtroom) and was well known and embedded in the community (he was on county commission for years among other things.)
I'll say my experience with Steve originally was pretty standard as he collected needed info from me and as he went through a couple rounds of plea agreements meetings with prosecutor. Unfortunately some sentencing required we argue during sentencing with a judge.
The day of my sentencing hearing I was a wreck. However, from the moment I walked in to the court house, to the time my case started in front of the judge all the way to my final sentencing I was more and more convinced I picked the right guy.
The moment we walked into the court house I could see Steve had been at this a long time. Everyone knew his name and many made it a point to stop, say hello and perhaps make brief conversation on various topics be they personal or business related. It was comforting to see that this was an environment to which he was very much in his element.
The hearings themselves started with most lawyers standing next to their client answering yes/no responses to questions and eventually rank and file leaving with their client once sentenced. Mr. Holt however had me take the stand (I was the only defendant that day that I saw put on the stand) and started asking questions such that it not only presented my case well but also painted a better picture of my current situation (personal/job and regarding the night of the arrest) as well as demonstrate my remorse and understanding of gravity of my crime.
In the end I was very pleased with my final sentence. It was still tough (as it should be), but he was able to negotiate areas that allowed me to regain my license much sooner than what would have normally been mandatory due to my refusal (which was a life saver knowing that my job was going away soon). I believe I had the best representation available when I compare his effort and professionalism to other attorneys present that day. As I was being processed for probation with other newly sentenced defendants I was told by two different people that they felt Mr. Holt did a better job than their own attorneys did and that they wished they had chosen him.
I expect I’ll never need Mr. Holt again. That said, if you are facing a similar situation as I was, I would strongly endorse Mr. Holt as someone you can place your trust in and not spend one moment questioning that descision.