Top Rated Criminal Defense Attorney in Mount Pleasant, SC

Michael P. O’Connell is a partner at Stirling & O’Connell, representing clients in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Summerville, Moncks Corner, Goose Creek, Hanahan, Folly Beach and Sullivan’s Island. A former member of the South Carolina Bar Resolution of Fee Disputes Board, he handles criminal defense cases, including federal crimes, DUI, sex offenses and drug violations.

A former sergeant in the United States Army, Mr. O’Connell has served as Charleston County’s public defender, the District of South Carolina’s assistant federal defender and a political science adjunct professor at The Citadel. He also served on the South Carolina Occupational Health and Safety Review Board as an administrative law judge and member, and as a faculty member for the National Criminal Defense College Trial Practice Institute.

Uniquely equipped to handle challenging cases with almost 45 years of experience behind him, Mr. O’Connell has resolved hundreds of cases and is admitted to practice in South Carolina and the District of Columbia, and before the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina and the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. For his high ethical standards and long list of successful results, he holds the highest peer review rating possible of AV Preeminent* from Martindale-Hubbell.

Mr. O’Connell graduated from Belmont Abbey College with a Bachelor of Arts before attending the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he obtained a Juris Doctor. Throughout his career, he has handled criminal cases for those facing charges for assault, homicide, theft, fraud and white collar crimes, and he also handles bond hearings.

* AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.