Michael David Metherd

Michael grew up in Sharonville, Ohio, which is a suburb of Cincinnati. At an early age, his parents instilled a hard work ethic, which caused Michael to constantly seek new challenges either in work, school, or with sports. Michael even completed international baccalaureate course work at Princeton High School. 

Michael attended Miami University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.  He also minored in Sociology with a focus on Criminology. During his time at Miami, a close friend received a citation for an extremely minor traffic infraction- moving a traffic cone a couple of feet. His friend’s case was publicized to the entire community via the campus newspaper. Michael noticed the embarrassment such a minor legal issue caused his friend and began to imagine what could happen if the charges had become more serious.  The unfairness of the process was disturbing and unacceptable to Michael. 

Michael went on to attend the University of Dayton School of Law. While attending law school, he gained experience litigating cases with the City of Dayton Prosecutor’s Office. This is where Michael’s eyes were opened to the true colors of the criminal justice system.  

After law school, Michael decided to hang his shingle and open a criminal defense firm. He remembers well one of his first cases.  A client was criminally charged for allegedly allowing a property to become run down, ultimately creating a hazard. Through his independent investigation, Michael discovered the client no longer owned the property. It had gone through the foreclosure process twice and the property was actually owned by a company that purchased it through the Sheriff’s auction. The State wanted the client to make improvements to a property which the client did not own.  If the client did not oblige the State wanted the client found guilty of a criminal offense.  The State’s position was inherently unfair and unjust.  Michael showed the Court as well as the State his client was not the proper party nor the proper subject to such a criminal action and Michael obtained a dismissal for the client.

Michael finds joy in fully investigating his cases in order to reach the best possible result for his clients.  Michael does not believe in simply pleading his clients out in the hopes of receiving a decent plea bargain.  Instead, Michael leaves no stone unturned and exhausts all remedies to his client’s satisfaction.  A short-sighted approach carriers the possibility of severe consequences because convictions often have long-lasting effects, particularly in today’s era of the internet, social media, and background checks.  Michael never wants his clients to encounter undue hardships and has dedicated his practice to actively preventing such.      

In his personal life, Michael can be found competing in triathlons and marathons. He has completed ten Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathons, four Ironman Louisville races, one Revolution, three full triathlons, and two Triple-T races – to name a few.  He finds satisfaction in both patience and endurance in all aspects of life, including the practice of criminal defense.