My Story: From Coffee County to the Courtroom
My name is Garth Segoves. I was born in Coffee County, attended public school in Tullahoma, Tennessee. Throughout my school years in Tullahoma, I worked, I played sports, and I studied, likely in that order. After 33 years, I still have lunch with friends who I started first grade with. Home is important to me. My parents instilled work ethic and treating people how I would want to be treated (Golden Rule). I personally want to be treated a little differently than most people regarding the Golden rule, I want blunt honesty.
I attended the University of Mississippi for 2.5 years before transferring to Middle Tennessee State University. During both my tenure at these universities, I worked nearly full time while attending school. After college, I framed houses for a few years, before deciding to apply to law school. I was fortunate to be accepted to Mercer University School of Law. Being a 25-year-old first year law student was different and caused me to take to my studies in a more serious nature.
After graduating, I moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where I was an associate in a small law firm that concentrated on medical malpractice. The two years I was there, I learned how to research and write, which have been invaluable tools in what I do now. I moved home in 2003 and began practicing with a law firm in my hometown. After almost five years of doing “desk work”, I was not happy and went out on my own with no clients and no idea of how I was going to make a living.
My first case was a court appointed criminal matter. I filed countless motions and had numerous conversations with the assistant district attorney who was more amused at my complete fear of not knowing I did not know anything. Over the next few months and years, I began to focus solely on criminal defense because this practice is not desk work. This practice is about professional relationships with everyone. This is seeing when something is bullshit and then explaining why to the proper person. This is explaining to a client that there is nothing else to be done, that a plea offer is the best it is going to get and the odds of losing at trial are not worth the exposure at sentencing. Again, being honest with my paying client.
My Approach to
Your Case
My consultations start out with the worst-case outcome and what can be done to defend the situation that one has found themself in, either by legitimate means, or fabricated means. My job is one that I feel only I can do. I do not have assistants, interns, legal secretaries or anyone else. I keep notes, I speak to arresting officers and detectives, I go to crime scenes, I interview witnesses and I take all of that work and craft a defense; and sometimes, I can show someone is innocent, and sometimes I can show cracks in a criminal matter that an offer is made by the State that requires to be entertained.
On serious alleged crimes, where one is facing decades in prison, I will suggest bringing in an investigator and possibly another attorney to assist. Getting help from those who I trust on a rape, murder or child abuse matter, are sometimes required. Being able to obtain those services, if deemed necessary, should be discussed early because they are expensive and should be brought in as quickly as possible.
The Reality of Criminal Defense
The world of criminal defense is mythical in a sense that everyone has watched crime dramas, movies with Tom Cruise or Paul Newman and CSI shows, thinking that it is a fast process and that one is innocent until proven guilty. That is a total myth. It is a long painful process to get to a jury trial. And, jury members are susceptible to predetermined thoughts of guilt. For example, during opening statements during a trial where a man had been charged with aggravated sexual battery by an authority figure, meaning if convicted, he was facing a minimum of 8-years in prison at 100% service time, I asked the jury if they felt my client was guilty of the charges. Every single one of them nodded their heads in the affirmative; because, who would be charge with a such crime if that person did not do it. I explained that they knew nothing of the facts and then proceeded to tell them the facts that I intended to prove at trial. During the third day of the trial, the matter was resolved without a jury deliberation, and my client did not spend a day in jail or prison, he was offered a plea of a much lesser included offense that made “the juice not worth the squeeze”.
Life Outside the Law
Outside of law, I keep tabs on and check in on my parents. I have two dogs (Atticus and Boo Radley), and I have a girlfriend who must deal with my mood swings when a trial or important hearing is coming up. I travel to watch sporting events all over the country and I hunt waterfowl, deer, and on occasion, big game. I also watch legal dramas and read fiction relating to my field. My other hobbies are collecting firearms, particularly colt handguns and browning long guns, and sports memorabilia.
Let’s Talk
If you have a misdemeanor, I will meet and discuss expectations. One’s criminal history will obviously be almost as important as the facts. I am in sessions court 3 days week if not more dealing with a plethora of misdemeanor matters.
I welcome you to call me and discuss your case. If I want to set up an appointment after that initial conversation, we will in person at my office and discuss at length. If your expectations and my expectations are similar and we both want to work with each other, we will discuss fee arrangements and go from there. I do not take every high-level felony matter that comes through the door; but I will listen to everyone.
Education
- Mercer University, Walter F. George School of Law
- J.D. – 2002
- Middle Tennessee State University
- B.B.A. – 1997
