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NOTEWORTHY CASES

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Akron Attorney, Akron criminal defense attorney, has successfully defended many notorious cases in the Northeast Ohio area.

August 2019: OVI reduced to Physical Control

A young man was charged with an OVI. A Motion to Suppress was filed by Hiltner Law. Hiltner Law showed up the morning of the Hearing with the young Man. Instead of proceeding with the hearing the State amend the OVI to a Physical Control.

March 2019: OVI reduced to Physical Control

A young man was charged with an OVI. After negotiations the State agreed to amend the OVI to a Physical Control, which resulted in zero points on his driver’s license.

March 2019: OVI reduced to Physical Control

A young man was charged with an OVI. After negotiations and a pending Motion to Suppress filed by Hiltner, the State agreed to amend the OVI to a Physical Control, which resulted in zero points on his driver’s license.

March 2019: 5th Degree Felony Violating a Protection Order – Defendant granted Intervention In Lieu of Conviction

A woman was charged with violating a protection order, a felony of the fifth degree. After reviewing the evidence, Hiltner requested that she be admitted into the Intervention In Lieu of Conviction (IILC) program. (A program where the women would have the opportunity to obtain a dismissal for her charge after completing court-ordered treatment.) The Judge was hesitant to allow the woman to enter the program. However, after Hiltner presented his arguments the Judge allowed the women into the program. If the client successfully completes all requirement of the program for one year all charges against her will be dismissed.

March 2019: Domestic Violence Charge Dismissed

A young man was charged with Domestic Violence a misdemeanor of the 1st degree. After fully prepping for trial, Hiltner showed up with the young man the morning of trial. Instead of proceeding to trial the State dismissed the charges.

February 2019: 5th Degree Felony Drug Charges Dismissed

A young woman was charged with two felony counts of aggravated possession of drugs. A preliminary hearing was scheduled to determine whether there was enough evidence to send to the grand jury. Hiltner, fully prepped for the hearing and showed up the morning of the hearing with the young woman. Instead of proceeding with the hearing the State dismissed all of the charges and all evidence of the arrest was sealed. 

December 2018:  Degree Felony Drug Charged Reduced to Misdemeanor Attempt

A young man was charged with tampering with evidence, a felony of the third degree, and possession of cocaine a felony of the fifth degree.  The man was facing up to a total of 4 years in prison. Hiltner was able to get the tampering with evidence charged dismissed and the felony possession of cocaine reduced to a misdemeanor attempt. The young man was sentenced to community control with no time in jail or prison.

June 2018 – 1st and 2nd Degree Felonies – Not Guilty Verdicts

Hiltner Law was hired to help try a case by local counsel for a 40-year-old man from Delaware Country, Ohio. He had been charged with the assault, rape, and kidnapping of his wife back in 2005. Although this cased was dismissed, it was reopened after eleven years, in 2016. The charges were based on the testimony of his wife and the local officers involved. If he had been convicted, Hiltner’s client could have potentially received a prison sentence of thirty years or more. Hiltner had to convince a jury of nine women and three men of his client’s innocence, seemingly creating a roadblock; however, Hiltner defended his client passionately, presenting evidence of faulty investigation and witness dishonesty. In the end, the jury declared Not Guilty verdicts for all felony charges, and Hiltner’s client received zero years in prison out of a potential thirty or more.

March 2018 : 2nd Degree Felony Drug Trafficking Case – Defendant granted Diversion

A 21-year-old was arrested for Drug Trafficking in the vicinity of a Juvenile, despite having no previous criminal record. A package of drugs arrived at his California home leading to a 2nd degree felony charge with a minimum sentence of three years in prison. Unsealing the search warrant affidavit revealed a serious issue in the searching of the package. Hiltner Law filed a Motion to Suppress, after which our client received permission to enter the Court’s Drug Diversion program and pled to a lesser felony possession charge. Now, if our client passes all drug testing requirements for a full year, the charged will be dismissed, and he will return to having no criminal record.

February 2018 : 1st Degree Felony Drug charges dismissed

Hiltner Law was hired to defend a young man who had been a passenger in the car of a driver who stopped home to pick up a package, which contained sixteen pounds of meth from California. Shortly after the driver picked up the packaged, the DEA and local law enforcement arrested both men, charging them with 1st Degree Felony Aggravated Drug Trafficking, with a Major Drug Offender Specification (MDO). The young man in the passenger seat had no criminal record, but if convicted, he would have to face a mandatory sentence of eleven years in State prison. After we unsealed the search warrant affidavits, we filed a Motion to Suppress and exposed a variety of issues with the State’s case. We exposed the utter absence of evidence against our client, and the State dismissed all charges.

January 2018 : Child pornography charges completely dismissed

Hiltner Law was hired for a case in West Virginia, as Hiltner is licensed in both the state and federal courts of West Virginia. The case involved a middle-aged Ohio man who had been charged with sending photos of his genitals through his computer to a “15-year-old girl” in West Virginia. In reality, this “15-year-old girl” was an officer posing as an underaged girl. The man was facing 0-5 years in prison, a fine up to $25,000, and registration as a sex offender for life. In under one month, Hiltner discovered a major flaw in the State’s case, leading to the dismissal of all charges.

December 2017 : Not Guilty Verdict on DUI/OVI

A young doctor was facing a DUI/OVI allegation and could have taken a major blow to his career. The man admitted to having many drinks, performed all the sobriety tests, and was arrested during the stop. Once at the police station, the doctor denied an alcohol test. During the trial, after Hiltner showed him his video of the traffic stop, the trooper admitted the sobriety tests were not performed in compliance with his police training, and the doctor, in fact, passed most of the tests. Hiltner put on no witnesses or testimony, and the Court reached a Not Guilty verdict almost immediately.

December 2017 : DUI/OVI charges completely dismissed

Hiltner Law was hired for case involving a young woman who had been charged with her 4th OVI, after being pulled over for driving down the wrong side of the freeway. During the stop, the woman admitted to drinking and consuming prescription medications. She then failed all sobriety tests administered by the officer and refused chemical and breath tests. The young woman, however, was sure she was not intoxicated and would not accept any plea deals whatsoever. Hiltner performed full preparations for the trial and arrived at court with the young woman to discover the State decided to dismiss the charges instead of risking trial.

December 2017 : DUI/OVI charges completely dismissed

Many vehicles reported the reckless driving of a young woman, leading to a traffic stop. The woman admitted she had consumed multiple drinks and failed the field sobriety tests. Furthermore, she had been convicted of a DUI/OVI in the past 6 months before the stop. Facing a minimum of thirty days in jail as well as losing her job and children, Hiltner worked to defend her, discovering many issues with State’s case. All charges were dismissed excluding a minor traffic infraction and a small fine, after less than a month.

October 2017 : Domestic Violence Charges Dismissed

A man who caught his fiancé with another person in their home was accused of allegedly strangling and assaulting his fiancé. He was charged with Domestic Violence, and being on felony probation, the man could have faced serious consequences; however, after Hiltner exposed many flaws in the Prosecution’s case, all charged were dismissed.

October 2017 : Domestic Violence Charges Dismissed

Hiltner was hired to handle a domestic violence case in which a mentally ill daughter had allegedly drawn a gun on her mother during a mental break. The police were called to restrain the daughter so she could be helped with her mental condition; however, instead of taking her to the hospital, the Prosecutors and police charged the daughter with Domestic Violence and took her to jail. The Prosecutors dismissed the charges against the daughter after many months of negotiations and pending trial. They came to this decision after Hiltner passionately advocated for his client, explaining that this was a medical emergency rather than a crime.

October 2017 : Another Not Guilty verdict

A 25-year-old professional in pursuit of his Master’s degree, while also coaching high school wrestling and football, was charged with an OVI. Hiltner was hired to protect this man’s future and freedom. The Prosecution offered only a minor reduction with no guaranteed sentence, and if convicted, our client could have faced 30-180 days in jail, losing his coaching job and his seat in his Master’s program. As far as we were concerned, a jury trial was the only option. During the trial, Hiltner told a sensitive story, in which this young, African-American man was racially profiled by the white state trooper, as his key defense to the case. Hiltner was able to sway an all-white jury in rural Ohio with this story, and after a ten-hour trial, the jury only took a little over an hour to decide upon a Not Guilty verdict.

August 2017 : DUI reduced to Failure to Control

Hiltner Law was hired to protect a well-respected citizen and business professional from an OVI charge. As with many OVI charges, this client’s entire future depended on this case. After several months of negotiation and filing a Motion to Suppress and a Motion to Dismiss, Hiltner convinced the Prosecution to agree to amend the charge to a charge of Failure to Control, which is a minor misdemeanor with a small fine.

August 2017 : Complete Dismissal

Hiltner was brought on to a case involving a step-father who was facing six months in jail for a charge of Domestic Violence against his 10-year-old-son. This man had raised and provided for the child since birth, treating him as his own son, and the child also saw his as a true father. The biological father, however, noticed a bruise on his son’s eye during visitation and brought in the police. This bruise was caused by the 10-year-old’s brother hitting him in the face, which was corroborated by the 10-year-old, the mother, and the step father, having all witnessed the incident. The biological father then filed for temporary custody, stealing custody of our client’s son under false allegations. Hiltner prepared thoroughly for this case, preparing subpoenas, witness statements, and expert opinions. On the day of the trial, Hiltner convinced the prosecution to dismiss all charged with prejudice; thus, the step-father could never be charged with this issue again.

August 2017 : DUI reduced to Headlight Violation

Hiltner Law was hired to defend a female college student who had been stopped near her college campus for an OVI. If she had been convicted, her options in her career field would have been limited drastically. The Prosecution eventually allowed the student to plead no contest to the misdemeanor headlight violation, after extended negotiation. The student only received a small fine.

July 2017 : Another Not Guilty verdict.

A middle-aged African American man was charged with allegedly violating a protection order of a 16-year-old white woman. This jury presented a variety of potential roadblocks. What exactly occurred that caused a teenage girl to request and receive a protection order against this man, who was 35 years older than her? Could this possibly have been an exaggerated situation of young white girl being preyed upon by a middle-aged African American man? With a jury of four white women and four men, three of whom were white, this case presented a challenge. The State presented a series of witnesses consisting of teenage girls who testified that our client approached the alleged victim aggressively, getting within five feet of her, while she ran from him hysterically. During Hiltner’s cross-examination of the witnesses, however, they conceded they were “suspicious” of the defendant after just seeing him. One of the witnesses even claimed she thought he was breaking into her car because he was walking in the car’s general direction. Another of the witnesses said she ran into the building she was going to as soon as she saw him. Our client was wearing business-casual clothing and walking in broad daylight in a mostly African American area. As soon as these young women saw him, however, they assumed he was a criminal. Hiltner explained to the jury that this admitted prejudice impacted their views on the incident. Furthermore, during the trial, it was revealed that our client was completely unaware the young woman was in the same area. He could never have identified her, as he never got within 150 feet of her. Our client was out to get a haircut from the local barbershop. The jury only took twenty minutes to clear the charges, finding him Not Guilty, after a full day of testimony.

May 2017 : Another NOT GUILTY.

​Hiltner was hired to represent a middle-aged, blue-collar worker for a short two days. This man had been charged with an OVI and had two previous OVI convictions in the late 1980s. He was facing upwards to six months in jail, and the situation did not look good at first. The video of our client made him appear unstable on his feet and erratic in his driving. However, Hiltner was able to convince the jury of the investigation’s flaws and that the conviction like this would impact everyone’s freedom. Furthermore, he explained to the jury that the erratic driving and lack of coordination was caused by a medical emergency rather than intoxication. The jury came back after two days of deliberation, having decided that the State did not meet its burden of proof. They stated that they would not want their own freedom and liberty stripped from them on insufficient evidence; thus, they could not convict our client. Many members of the jury also asked for Hiltner’s business cards.

April 2017 :  Three jury trials, Three days, ZERO convictions

Hiltner was determined to break a personal record of successful defense. He wanted to receive three not guilty verdicts in just three days; however, he was never given the chance to do so. Hiltner’s thorough preparation and investigation of each case for all three of his clients put immense pressure on the State. The day before each trial, the State dismissed the charges to avoid going to trial against a repeatedly successful trial attorney. Although Hiltner did not break his record, he and his clients could not have been happier.

February 2017 : All Charges Dismissed.

A recovering heroin addict and father of two young children hired Hiltner for a particularly unjust charge. The father had been prescribed a withdrawal drug, taking his recommended dose and remaining clean for two years. On the day of this incident, our client took his usual dose of the withdrawal medication; however, he became sleepy at the wheel, pulled over quickly, and his son went to find help. Our client then woke up in a hospital bed in a slight daze when an officer came in to tell him he was being charged with an OVI and Child Endangering. If he had been convicted of both charges, he would have spent a year in jail. Hiltner provided a passionate defense for the client, explaining that the father had an unusual reaction to the medication and was not abusing it. Furthermore, Hiltner had an addiction expert help the jury gain a clearer understanding of the case.

The State was attempting to misrepresent our client as a child-endangering drug abuser Hiltner was able to convince the jury that this father was a success story​. In other situations, this may have been an obituary. The jury took under an hour to unanimously decide on a NOT GUILTY verdict, after a full day trial.

December 2016 

A father of three in Tuscarawas County received two separate charges of domestic violence. He was accused of allegedly threatening his wife and hitting his daughter. Hiltner Law was hired to defend the father. The client eventually pleaded to a misdemeanor of disorderly conduct, after plea negotiations and exposure of weaknesses in the State’s case.

December 2016 : Another Not Guilty Verdict.

A young businessman was pulled over in Huron County and received an OVI charge. He had admitted to drinking a single beer many hours before, leading the to the charge. This man’s future would have been in serious danger if he had been convicted, so he hired Hiltner Law. The client only needed to plead to a speeding violation, after Hiltner revealed error’s in the officer’s stop and testing of client.

November 2016

A Stark County wife accused her husband, a federal employee of thirty years and nearing retirement, of domestic violence. He was in danger of losing everything until he hired Hiltner Law. Hiltner’s thorough preparation and diligence led the prosecutor to reduce the charge to Disorderly Conduct and a fine.

August 2016: All Charges Dismissed
Two middle-aged brothers, along with there elderly father, in Columbiana County received charges for a variety of felonies. They had allegedly operated an illegal gambling house and bingo hall out of their family-owned bar. One of the brother’s hired Hiltner Law once he realized trial would be inevitable. Hiltner noticed that his client’s Constitutional Rights had been violated soon after he had been retained; thus, all of the family’s charges were dismissed.

August 2016

A Stark County woman was charged with the murder of her husband, and Ohio Law and Laura Mills were able to successfully defend her. Hiltner also holds the position of “Of Counsel” for a respected Canton law firm, Mills, Mills, Fiely & Lucas (MMFL). He manages of this firm’s criminal defense practice. The jury trial for the Stark County woman lasted two weeks and ended with a hung jury.

July 2016

A young professional of Cuyahoga County received a charge for his second OVI. He had received his first within the previous six years, and if convicted of the second, it would have lost his job and much of his freedom. A motion to suppress was filed and Hiltner was retained for the case, damaging the State’s case. In the end, the client only had to plead to failing to control his vehicle.

April 2016 : Another Not Guilty Verdict.
A Canton, Ohio, father was falsely accused of assault by his ex-wife, leading to a charge of domestic violence. If he had been convicted, he would have lost his job, his reputation, and custody of his son. During cross examination at the jury trial, Hiltner questioned an “eye witness” who was supposedly neutral. However, it was revealed in phone records that the father’s ex-wife staged the entire incident, planting witnesses to gain full custody of their son. The jury found our client NOT GUILTY after only five minutes of deliberation.

February 2016 : All Charges Dismissed.

A young, Summit County man received a domestic violence charge after being accused of abusing his ex-girlfriend. Hiltner Law represented the man, and the case was taken to jury trial. Hiltner tracked down an eye witness, and they testified that the defendant never touched his ex-girlfriend; thus, the jury’s decision was simple. The jury found our client NOT GUILTY after only ten minutes of deliberation.

August 2015 : All Charges Dismissed.

A Summit County man was accused of beating his girlfriend and was charged with domestic violence. Days later, the alleged victim signed a statement to claim she had made up the entire story and our client never touched her; furthermore, she claimed she was drunk and mad at him for breaking up with her. She was then charged with filing a false police report; thus, she went back to her original story of being a victim of domestic violence. Hiltner Law was brought on to defend the man, and the case was taken to jury trial. The woman admitted she was on federal probation for stealing $200,000 from the federal government, during cross examination. She went on to say being convicted for filing a false police report would put her in jail for twelve years. The jury found the defendant NOT GUILTY, after only five minutes of deliberation.

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