Criminal Defense

Robert Kenner, Jr. is among the most accomplished criminal defense attorneys in the State of Georgia. He has been featured in the Daily Report and the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He has successfully represented clients charged with serious crimes by getting the charges dismissed, receiving a not guilty verdict after a jury trial, or having their conviction overturned by the Georgia Court of Appeals, and the Georgia Supreme Court.

Robert Kenner gained notoriety when he represented a client by the name of Dionte Maxwell in 2002. At the time, Dionte was 21 years old and charged with several counts of felony murder, fleeing and eluding, hit and run, and having a false driver’s license. Dionte hired Robert Kenner to represent him, and his defense was he was not driving the vehicle at the time of the incident, someone else in the vehicle was driving. During jury selection, several jurors expressed a bias against Dionte and said they had formed an opinion based on media stories that Dionte may be guilty. Based on this bias opinion, Robert Kenner asked the presiding judge to remove the jurors from the trial. The judge refused and two of the jurors remained on the jury.

Unfortunately, Dionte’s trial ended in a guilty verdict on all charges. Dionte was sentenced to life plus 35 years. Robert Kenner appealed the conviction and argued the case before the Georgia Supreme Court. Robert Kenner argued that the jurors should have been removed from the trial. The Georgia Supreme Court agreed.  Dionte’s conviction was overturned and upon retrial, the jury found Dionte not guilty on all charges. Robert Kenner showed the jury that Dionte was mistakenly identified as the driver of the vehicle.

Dionte had been incarcerated for 5 years from the time he was arrested until he was acquitted by the second jury.