JOSEPH C. BODIFORD, J.D., LL.M., B.C.S.
State and Nationally Board Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer
Adjunct Professor, Florida State University College of Law
Experience
Criminal defense attorney (February 1999 – present)
- Board Certified, Criminal Trial Law (by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Education and Specialization, 2003 – present)
- Board Certified, Criminal Trial Advocacy (by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a division of the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification, 2013 – present)
- AV* rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- 850 Magazine Top Lawyer (Criminal Law) (2014)
- Florida Trend’s Legal Elite (2012, 2013)
- Florida SuperLawyer (2008, 2009)
- AVVO rated 10 (“Superb”); Recipient of “Client’s Choice” (2012, 2013, 2014)
- Tampa Bay’s Top Lawyers (Criminal Defense), Tampa Bay Magazine (2010, 2012)
- Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America Trial Lawyer Honorary Society (2008 – present)
- American Society of Legal Advocates “Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys in Florida” (2013)
- The National Trial Lawyers “Top 100 Trial Lawyers”
- Over 100 jury trials, countless non-jury trials and motions
- Over 70 criminal appeals
- Appearances in Federal and state courts, on all types of charges/cases, criminal and civil
Adjunct Professor of Law, Florida State University College of Law
- Cross Examination (Fall 2015)
- Co-director of the FSU COL Trial Team and coach (Spring 2015 – present)
Adjunct Professor of Law, Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, Florida
- Florida Criminal Procedure (Spring 2012 – April 2015)
- Trial Advocacy (2010 – 2014)
- Legal Drafting (2009)
- Survey of Florida Law (Florida Criminal Procedure; Premises Liability)
- Trial Team coach/evaluator/lecturer
Assistant State Attorney
- Office of the State Attorney, 13th Judicial Circuit, May 1997 – February 1999§ Office of the State Attorney, 6th Judicial Circuit, December 1995 – May 1997
- Graduate, National District Attorneys Association Prosecutor Training, University of South Carolina
Admissions
- United States Supreme Court, 2002
- Eleventh Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, 1996
- Federal District Court for the Middle District of Florida, 1996
- Federal District Court for the Northern District of Florida, 2008
- Supreme Court of Florida, 1996
Education
- LL.M. in Advocacy, Stetson University College of Law, December 2014
- With honors
- Concentration in advocacy teaching
- Juris Doctor, Stetson University College of Law, December 1995
- Trial Team (1995)
- Winner, Mock Trial Competition (1995)
- Third Place, Closing Argument Competition (1993)
- Winner, Opening Statement Competition (1993)
- Member, Phi Alpha Delta (Vice-Justice, 1994)
- Teaching Assistant, R & W I, Federal Pre-trial Practice
- Master of Music (Trumpet Performance), Florida State University, May 1993§ Bachelor of Arts (Music), Florida State University, August 1991
- Winner, 1992 National Trumpet Competition (Washington, D.C.)
- Winner of various state and regional competitions
- Certificate in Trumpet Performance, Florida State University, August 1991
- Lincoln High School, Tallahasse, Florida 1987
Areas of Interest & Research
- Trial advocacy
- Trial advocacy teacher training
- Trial advocacy and Sixth Amendment effectiveness of counsel issues
- Race issues in criminal trial advocacy
- Ethics in criminal trial advocacy
Publications
- Author, Cross Examination In a Nutshell (West Academic) (Spring 2018)
- Author, Florida Criminal Cases Notebook (James Publishing) (Fall 2017)
- Author, Trial By Fire: An Introduction to Trial Advocacy (publication expected 2019)
- Author, chapter entitled “Cross-Examination in DUI Trial Advocacy”, Witness Preparation and Examination for DUI Proceedings, Aspatore Books (2015)
- Author, chapter entitled “DUI Discovery and DUI Trial Advocacy”, Trends in DUI Discovery, Aspatore Books (2014)
- Author, Chapter 22: “White Collar Crimes”; Business Litigation in Florida, Florida Bar CLE Manual (all editions, 2001 – 2014)
- Update Editor, Florida Traffic and DUI Practice Manual, Matthew Bender/LEXIS Publishing (2002 – 2016)
- “Beware of what you BLAWG: The case of the Bench, the Blawg, the Bar, the Barrister,” The Defender (Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers), October 2009
- “The 3:32am Sleepy Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Guide to Answering the 24/7 Line,” The Defender (Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers), April 2009
- Florida Evidence: 1995 Courtroom Manual (credited therein as research assistant to Prof. William Eleazer)
- Contributor, Hillsborough County Bar Association magazine
- Op Ed pieces featured in the Orlando Sentinel and Tallahassee Democrat
Seminars taught/speaking engagements
- Lecturer for FSU College of Law classes "Jury Selection" and "Juvenile Law", Spring 2016, 2017
- Lecturer for FSU PAD Trial Team (Fall 2015, “Cross Examination, Opening Statements”)
- Lecturer for FSU Mock Trial Team (2015-2017, “Opening Statements”, "Objections")
- “Bodiford’s 5 Rs of Case Analysis” - Public Defender’s Office, Second Circuit (2014)
- Panelist, Stetson University College of Law/NACDL “White Collar Crime College” (2012, 2013, 2014)
- “Practicing with Professionalism,” Pinellas County Bar Association (March 2012)
- “Handling the First DUI Cases,” LawReview CLE (August 2011)
- “Defense of Pill Mill Cases,” Florida Society of Interventional Pain Physicians Annual Meeting (May 2011)
- “Criminal Appeals: Bridging the Gap From Trial to Appeal” (April 2011) for the Hillsborough County Public Defenders Office
- “Handling the First DUI Cases,” LawReview CLE (April 2011)
- “Defense of Pill Mill Cases,” Stetson College of Law's “Law School for Physicians” (March 2011)
- “Ethics in Criminal Cases,” 3-part CLE for Stetson University College of Law Advocacy Resource Center (September 2010)
- "The Basics of Criminal Representation," The Florida Bar Basic Criminal Law Seminar (2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014)
- “So, Your Client Has Been Arrested . . . “ (May 2010) for the Carrollwood Community Bar Association
- “DUI: Drinking, Driving, and Your Career” (March 2010) for Stetson University College of Law
- “Criminal Appeals: Bridging the Gap From Trial to Appeal” (April 2010) for the Hillsborough County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- "Defending DUI Cases," The Florida Bar Basic Criminal Law Seminar (January 2009)
- “Preparing for Oral Argument” for the Florida State University College of Law Research and Writing Department (March 2009)
- “Evidence in a Criminal Trial,” Real Evidence for the Trial Practitioner in Florida for Lorman (August 2007)
- “Criminal Appeals,” Appellate Practice for the General Practitioner in Florida, for Lorman (November 2006)
- “Presentation of Defense Evidence” and “Concluding the Trial,” The Criminal Defense Trial from Start to Finish, for NBI (October 2006)
- Lecturer at Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa Police Department, and Florida Highway Patrol (1997 – 1999)
Memberships/Committees
- Master of the Inn, William Stafford American Inn of Court, Tallahassee, Florida (2014 – present)
- Tallahassee Bar Association (2014 – present)
- Capital City Tiger Bay (2015 – present)
- Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Tallahassee Chapter (2014 – present)
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Barrister (Alumni member), Goldburg-Cacciatore Criminal American Inn of Court (2013)
- Hillsborough County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (Vice-president, 2006 – 2007; President 2008 – 2009; Board of Directors 2009 – 2013)
- Hillsborough County Bar Association (Vice-chair, Criminal Law Section, 2011 – 2012)
- Florida Bar Grievance Committee 13F (2006 – 2008)
- Florida Bar Criminal Law Certification Committee (2006 – 2009)
- Florida Bar Traffic Rules Committee (2002 – 2006; Vice-chair, 2004; Chair, 2005 – 2006)
- Representative, Florida Bar Rules of Judicial Administration Committee (2005 – 2006)
Media appearances as commentator/analyst
- Headline News (HLN)
- Court TV (“Trial Heat,” “Open Court” – live in-studio in New York, “Catherine Crier” – live on location; many appearances outside courtrooms around Florida)
- “Nancy Grace” (CNN)
- “The O’Reilly Factor” (FOXNews – TV and radio appearances)
- “Studio B with Shepard Smith” (FOX) (via satellite and live in Studio in New York)
- “Big Story” and “Big Story Weekend” (FOX)
- CNN International
- News Channel 10 (Tampa/St. Petersburg); News Channel 8 (Tampa); BayNews 9; 970 WFLA (Tampa); “Kathy Fountain” (Tampa), News Channel 13 (FOX – Tampa)
- Numerous local and national radio interviews/commentary
- Regularly called upon for commentary in nationwide print/online media
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