Conway Violent Crime Defense Attorney

Facing a violent crime charge in Conway, AR? Contact the top Conway violent crime defense lawyer to protect your rights and your future.

A violent crime accusation can arrive without warning and leave your family trying to figure out what just happened.

You may be facing a bond you cannot afford, a no-contact order that keeps you out of your own home, and a case headed for Faulkner County Circuit Court. Meanwhile, the prosecutor’s office is already deciding how hard to push.

At Lemley DWI & Criminal Defense Lawyers, we have stood in those Faulkner County courtrooms for more than 21 years. Our Conway violent crime defense attorneys include former prosecutors and a former detective who know how violent crime cases are built, challenged, and often resolved well short of what the state first files.

From the first call, our focus is simple: get you home, get ahead of the evidence, and get you back to normal life as quickly as the facts allow.

Contact us today for a free consultation.

Arrested in Conway? What Happens Next

In Faulkner County, a violent crime arrest sets off a process that begins moving the moment you are in handcuffs. The decisions you make immediately after an arrest, who you call, what you say, and when you get legal help, can shape the direction of your case.

Booking and Bond at Faulkner County Detention Center

After your arrest, you’ll be transported to the Faulkner County Detention Center for booking, which includes fingerprinting, photographs, and recording your personal information. The court then sets a bond, a financial guarantee that determines whether you wait for trial from home or from a cell.

Common types of bond in Arkansas include:

• Cash bond: The full bail amount is paid upfront in cash directly to the court.

• Surety bond: A bail bondsman posts the full bail amount on your behalf for a non-refundable fee, typically around 10%.

• Own recognizance: A judge releases you on your written promise to appear, no money required.

Our Conway violent crime lawyers contact your family immediately and coordinate your release from the moment we take your call.

Your First Appearance and Arraignment

Within days of your arrest, a judge will formally read the charges and confirm your bond status at your first appearance. At arraignment, the formal hearing where you enter your official plea, we almost always enter a “not guilty” plea to preserve every legal option available to you.

Early Investigation and Evidence Preservation

Once we take your case, we file discovery demands, a formal legal process requiring the prosecution to turn over all evidence, including police reports, body camera footage, 911 recordings, and lab results. We also send legal preservation holds so that critical evidence, including surveillance footage, cannot be deleted before we have a chance to review it.

Violent Charges We Defend in Faulkner County

Arkansas law classifies a wide range of offenses as violent crimes, each carrying its own penalty range and available defenses.

Assault and Battery

Assault is the threat of physical harm, and battery is the act of making physical contact. These assault and battery charges range from a Class C misdemeanor to a serious felony, depending on the severity of the alleged injury and whether a weapon was involved.

Aggravated Assault

When conduct creates a substantial danger of death or serious injury under circumstances showing extreme indifference to human life, what would be a standard assault charge becomes aggravated assault, a Class D felony that can carry up to six years in prison.

Domestic Battery and Protection Orders

Charges involving family or household members can carry enhanced penalties for repeat offenses, court-ordered treatment programs, and a federal firearm ban that applies even to a misdemeanor conviction. These cases also frequently trigger an Order of Protection, a civil court order that can bar you from your own home before a verdict has ever been reached.

What our criminal defense attorneys in Conway see in Faulkner County domestic battery cases is an arrest made within minutes of a 911 call, based largely on one person’s account.

The 911 recording, the responding officer’s body camera footage, and photos taken that night often show a more complicated picture than the written report. Our case results include a domestic battery charge that was dismissed.

Robbery and Aggravated Robbery

Robbery involves using or threatening force during a theft. When a deadly weapon is involved, the charge can be elevated to aggravated robbery, a serious felony under Arkansas law that can carry substantial prison time.

Homicide and Manslaughter

Homicide charges span from capital murder to negligent homicide, and the specific charge depends on the facts of the case and your mental state at the time of the incident. The legal distinction between charge levels can come down to a single argument, which is why the defense has to be constructed carefully and early.

Kidnapping and False Imprisonment

Kidnapping involves restraining someone to terrorize them, collect a ransom, or facilitate another crime, and it frequently carries Class Y felony exposure. False imprisonment is the lesser charge but still carries significant prison time.

Gun Charges Tied to Violent Offenses

When a firearm is connected to a violent offense, prosecutors often add a felon-in-possession charge or seek sentencing enhancements that stack additional years on top of the primary charge.

Defense Strategies That Win Violent Cases

We do not take a generic approach to violent crime defense. Every strategy is built on the specific facts of what happened and where the prosecution’s case actually breaks down.

Self-Defense and Justification under Arkansas Law

Arkansas law allows you to use physical force when you reasonably believe it is necessary to protect yourself from another person’s imminent use of unlawful force. We examine the location, the alleged aggressor’s history, the nature of the threat, and your state of mind to build a complete justification defense.

Stand-Your-Ground Protection in Arkansas

You have no legal duty to retreat from a threat in Arkansas when you are somewhere you have a right to be. This protection is powerful, but it must be raised and argued precisely. The facts have to be framed correctly for a judge or jury to apply it in your favor.

Eyewitness Identification Challenges

Eyewitness testimony is among the least reliable forms of evidence in any criminal case, and violent crime cases are no exception. We review lineup and photo-array procedures for suggestiveness and, when needed, bring in expert witnesses to explain to a jury how stress, distance, and memory failure lead to false identifications.

Independent Forensic and Use-of-Force Experts

When the prosecution’s theory depends on DNA results, blood spatter patterns, or injury analysis, we retain our own forensic experts to independently evaluate that evidence and challenge the state’s conclusions.

Suppression Motions for Unlawful Searches and Statements

If police searched your property without a valid warrant, or questioned you in custody without advising you of your Miranda rights, any evidence gathered may be inadmissible. A suppression motion is a formal request to have a judge exclude that evidence from trial, and it can stop the prosecution’s case before it ever reaches a jury.

One pattern our Conway violent crime lawyers consistently see in Conway self-defense cases is a fight outside a bar, gas station, or apartment complex where surveillance video exists but no one has asked for it yet. Businesses along Oak Street and Dave Ward Drive often record over their footage within days, so we send preservation requests as soon as we take the case.

Bail, Bond and No-Contact Orders in Faulkner County

Getting you out of jail and back to your life is often the first battle we take on. We act immediately on bond hearings and any restrictive court orders the moment we are on your case.

Emergency Bond Reduction Hearings

If your bond is higher than your family can afford, we petition the court for an emergency bond reduction hearing. We present the judge with a structured release plan, built around your community ties, employment, and court appearance history, to argue for a lower, workable bond amount.

No-Contact Order Modifications

A no-contact order can prevent you from returning to your own home or seeing your children before you have been convicted of anything. We file motions to modify these orders when appropriate and know exactly how to make that argument before a Faulkner County judge.

Potential Penalties for Violent Crimes in Arkansas

A violent crime conviction does not end when you leave the courthouse. The consequences reach into nearly every area of your life.

Beyond prison time and fines, a conviction follows you in ways that last:

• Firearm rights: A felony conviction bars you from owning or possessing any firearm under state and federal law.

• Employment and licensing: A violent crime record appears on background checks, affecting job opportunities, professional licenses, and housing applications.

• Immigration status: For non-citizens, a violent crime conviction can lead to deportation and other serious immigration consequences, regardless of how long you have lived here.

Results and Credentials That Speak for Themselves

We let our outcomes and our team’s background do the talking. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in yours.

Recent case results:

• Dismissed: Domestic Battery.

• Dismissed: Terroristic Threatening.

• Probation Only: Felony Terroristic Act.

Kevin Lemley is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 and the National College for DUI Defense, and has over 21 years of Arkansas courtroom experience.

Our team also includes former prosecuting attorneys Samantha Kassen and Lauren Scroggins, former U.S. District Attorney staffer Madison Cameron, and former law enforcement detective Josh King, advocates who spent years on the other side of the courtroom and now put every bit of that knowledge to work for you. We genuinely fight for our clients during the hardest moments of their lives.

Flat-Fee Pricing and Flexible Payment Plans

For most violent crime cases, we charge a single flat fee so you know the full cost of your defense from the first conversation. There are no hourly rates and no invoices that pile up while your case is pending. You’ll know exactly what your defense costs before we file a single motion.

We also offer flexible payment plans because a legal crisis and a financial one rarely arrive separately. Quality representation should not be reserved for people who can easily afford it.

Why Choose Lemley DWI & Criminal Defense Lawyers

Your case will move through Faulkner County Circuit Court, and you need a team that knows that courthouse, those prosecutors, and the way violent crime cases are built and broken down inside it.

• Former prosecution experience: Attorneys on our team who once built criminal cases for the state now use that knowledge to dismantle the case against you.

• Law enforcement background: A former detective on our staff spots procedural gaps and investigative errors that outside attorneys often miss.

• Conway office: We are based in Conway, minutes from Faulkner County Circuit Court, not making a long drive for your hearings.

• 24/7 availability: Arrests don’t follow a business schedule, and neither do we.

• Secure client portal: Private, encrypted communication and real-time case updates, available whenever you need them.

“I have been more than pleased with Kevin and his team. I know that every case is different, but in our situation they were able to help prevent things from going any further than they could have and most likely would have if not for him and his team. A huge thank you for defending our family. There were times it felt like nothing was happening but we can’t always see the gears turning. I can assure you though, the gears in this machine were turning well. I also appreciated getting a weekly update on case developments, and the text line was very beneficial to quick and efficient communication.” – Siman Sutton

Call Lemley DWI & Criminal Defense Lawyers at to schedule a consultation with a lawyer today.

Frequently Asked Questions about Conway Violent Crime Charges

Can the Alleged Victim Have My Charges Dropped?

No. The State of Arkansas controls criminal charges, not the alleged victim. The prosecuting attorney has full authority to pursue your case even if the other party asks for it to be dismissed.

Can I Claim Self-Defense if I Started the Fight?

Only in limited circumstances. Under Arkansas law, a person who started the fight generally cannot claim self-defense unless they withdrew from the encounter and clearly communicated that withdrawal. It is a fact-specific argument that must be carefully built by an experienced attorney.

Can a No-Contact Order Be Lifted before Trial?

Yes, through a formal motion to the court, but you cannot contact the protected party directly to arrange this, because doing so is a separate criminal offense that will make your situation significantly worse.

How Soon Can You Meet Me at the Faulkner County Detention Center?

We can typically arrange a meeting the same day you call, including nights and weekends.

Do You Represent University of Central Arkansas Students Facing Violent Crime Charges?

Yes, and when university disciplinary proceedings are running alongside your criminal case, we coordinate both on your behalf.

Award-Winning Criminal Defense Law Firm in Conway, AR

Every hour you wait is an hour the prosecution uses to build its case. One call puts our full team in your corner. Reach out to Lemley DWI & Criminal Defense Lawyers to schedule a consultation with our team today. You can also reach us 24/7 or contact our Conway office online. Our job is to take you from this moment to a better one.