Criminal Law
(Free Initial Consultation)
Richard R. Wier, Jr.’s credentials for defending those charged with anything from misdemeanors to murder are unequaled. His defense practice includes:
| Murder Manslaughter Rape Kidnapping Drugs |
DUI Pardons Misdemeanors Juvenile Cases Felonies |
He served as a Deputy Attorney General from 1968 until 1970 when he was promoted to State Prosecutor in 1970. He served as State prosecutor from 1970 until 1975 when he was elected Attorney General of Delaware. He served as Attorney General until 1979 when he returned to private practice and has been defending criminal cases for the last 21 years.
As a prosecutor Mr. Wier had a 95% conviction rate and successfully prosecuted most of Delaware’s most celebrated criminal cases including the first degree murder cases of Herbert F. Steigler, Lester McKinley Johnson, Randolph Dickerson and Keith Jenkins. He successfully prosecuted the notorious Smyrna Five, named for five maximum security inmates who attempted to murder a prison guard. As head of the Statewide Criminal Division he set up procedures that improved the effectiveness of the Attorney General’s Office to combat and prosecute crime.
As Attorney General, he modernized the compensation system of the office and obtained legislative approval to accomplish that improvement. As a result, many of the attorneys he hired over 25 years ago are still with the Department of Justice and provide an invaluable link to that office.
After returning to private practice in 1979, Mr. Wier has served as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Criminal Law Section of the Delaware Bar Association and has successfully defended those charged with serious crimes such as rape, kidnapping, first degree murder, and drug offenses. In one first degree murder case he successfully had the murder charge reduced to manslaughter and obtained probation on the manslaughter charge. The client only served a minimum mandatory (three years) sentence on the weapons charge. Through Mr. Wier’s efforts, the defendant’s home was saved from sale or attachment in a subsequent civil case.
Mr. Wier normally charges flat fees for his handling of criminal cases and will meet initially without charge to evaluate the case as appropriate.
