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CRIMINAL DEFENSE Mr. McKay has practiced criminal law for more than 20 years. He has handled every
type of criminal case from minor juvenile offenses to death penalty trials. He has successfully defended
dozens of clients in trials including first and second degree murder cases. He obtained the dismissal of
a manslaughter case against a 15 year old defendant (tried as an adult) after appealing to the Louisiana
Supreme Court. He has served as public defender for 15 years, with five of those as chief defender, thus
giving him countless hours of courtroom experience along with study and writing time. His cases run the
gamut of drug charges, including successful trials and appeals in a variety of such cases. Mr. McKay's
practice includes regular attendance at Continuing Legal Education seminars. He is approved by the Louisiana
Indigent Defense Assistance Board as trial lead counsel and appellate lead counsel in death penalty cases.
None of his clients has ever received a death sentence. He has also successfully handled post-conviction
proceedings at the state and federal level. Mr. McKay also recognizes that many individuals charged with
crimes are facing serious consequences, and have in many instances committed a major offense. In those case,
Mr. McKay will negotiate with prosecutors to obtain the fairest resolution of the case that is possible.
Citations to published cases are available upon request.
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