Why You Should Hire Vic Carmody Jr. for Your Mississippi DUI Case

When you are searching for a DUI lawyer in Mississippi, you will find no shortage of options. billboards, television commercials, online directories, and Google search results all compete for your attention. Many of these attorneys are competent. Some are even good. But very few have the credentials, the experience, and the proven case results that set Vic Carmody Jr. apart from every other DUI defense attorney in the state. This is a matter of documented, verifiable record.

Vic Carmody Jr. has been practicing criminal defense since 1980 — that is over 45 years of trial experience. He has personally defended more than 9,000 DUI cases across Mississippi and 23 other states. He is the only attorney in Mississippi who is Board-Certified by the National College for DUI Defense, a distinction held by fewer than 100 attorneys in the entire United States.

He is the co-author of “Mississippi DUI Law and Practice”, published by Thomson Reuters — the book that other lawyers and judges across the state use as their primary reference on Mississippi DUI law. When we say he wrote the book on Mississippi DUI defense, that is not a metaphor. It is a literal fact.

A Background No Other Mississippi DUI Attorney Can Match

Before he became a lawyer, Vic Carmody served as a Green Beret in Vietnam. After returning to Mississippi, he joined the Jackson Police Department, where he rose to the rank of police lieutenant from 1973 to 1980. That means the man defending your DUI case spent seven years on the other side — conducting traffic stops, administering field sobriety tests, writing arrest reports, and testifying in court. He knows police procedures from the inside because he lived them.

This background gives Vic Carmody an edge that cannot be taught in law school or acquired through continuing education. When he reviews your case, he is not just reading the officer’s report — he is evaluating it through the eyes of someone who has written those same reports. He knows where officers cut corners. He knows which field sobriety test protocols are commonly administered incorrectly. He knows how to cross-examine a police officer because he once was one.

The Only Board-Certified DUI Trial Lawyer in Mississippi

Board certification by the National College for DUI Defense is not a participation trophy. It requires hundreds or thousands of trials, many hundreds of hours of continuing legal education focused exclusively on DUI defense, a rigorous examination on all aspects of DWI and DUI defense, and demonstrated mastery of the science behind DUI evidence. Vic Carmody Jr. is the only attorney in Mississippi who holds this certification. In the entire country, fewer than 100 attorneys have achieved it.

He is also a Founding Regent and former Dean of the National College for DUI Defense (serving as Dean from 2001 to 2002), and he currently serves as a Fellow of the college. He is an active instructor at the NCDD Summer Trial College held at Harvard Law School, where he teaches hundreds of the nation’s top DUI defense attorneys advanced trial strategy and techniques for debunking the “junk science” that prosecutors often present as scientific evidence. He has presented DUI seminars in 15 states and 4 foreign countries.

When you hire Vic Carmody, you are not just hiring an attorney. You are hiring the attorney who trains other attorneys.

He Owns and Operates Many DUI Breath Test Machines

Breath test evidence is typically the strongest weapon in the prosecution’s arsenal. Most defense attorneys have no choice but to accept the breathalyzer results at face value or hire an outside expert to challenge them. Vic Carmody, Jr. is the only criminal defense attorney in Mississippi who personally owns multiple Intoxilyzer breath testing devices, and holds a DOT permit to operate them.

This means Vic can:

• Conduct independent testing and analysis of the same type of equipment used in your arrest
• Identify calibration errors and equipment malfunctions that could invalidate your breath test results
• Challenge prosecution evidence with objective scientific findings based on hands-on machine analysis rather than secondhand theory

No other DUI attorney in Mississippi can offer this. It is a unique advantage that has contributed to dismissals and acquittals in cases where the breath test evidence appeared to be airtight.

Proven Case Results: Dismissals, Acquittals, and Supreme Court Victories

Credentials matter, but results are what ultimately count. Vic Carmody Jr. and Kevin Stewart have secured dismissals, acquittals, and substantial charge reductions in thousands of DUI cases across Mississippi. Here are just a few examples from real clients:

A military career saved. One client, facing a DUI charge that threatened a 13-year military career, described how Vic Carmody’s preparation was so thorough that the trial lasted five minutes and resulted in a not-guilty verdict: “During my five-minute trial, I literally did not have to say a single word. Due to his extensive preparation beforehand, I was found not guilty.”

A dismissal after a breath test. A client represented by Kevin Stewart had already submitted to a breath test — making the case objectively harder to defend. But Kevin identified problems with the evidence and secured a complete dismissal: “Everyone thought I was screwed, but luckily I had a knowledgeable lawyer. Thank God. My DUI was dismissed. I had even done the breath test which made my case a little more difficult to fight.”

A Mississippi Supreme Court victory. In one case, Vic Carmody took a client’s appeal all the way to the Mississippi Supreme Court and won — a decision reported at 693 So.2d 1355. His appellate case decisions have been cited nationally for creative defense strategies that allowed his clients to defeat drunk driving charges.

A case dismissed before trial. Another client wrote: “I expected a TRIAL, but Vic got my case DISMISSED!” — and added that the arrest was subsequently expunged from their record.

Three cases, three positive results. One client who used the firm for three separate cases wrote: “Mr. Carmody is expensive, but well worth every dollar. I used his firm for three cases, all with a positive result.”

Kevin Stewart: A Co-Author, Not a Junior Associate

When you hire our firm you are also getting Kevin Stewart — not a paralegal, not a junior associate, but a co-author of Mississippi DUI Law and Practice and Mississippi Criminal Trial Practice Forms, both published by Thomson-Reuters. Kevin has been with the firm since 2005, starting as a law student and rising to become one of the most respected criminal defense attorneys in the state.

Kevin was selected as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers for nearly a decade — a distinction reserved for no more than 2.5% of attorneys in the state. In 2014, the Mississippi Business Journal recognized him as one of “Mississippi’s Leading Attorneys” with a leadership in law award. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. He serves as both a public defender and a city prosecutor, giving him a rare dual perspective on how cases are built and how they can be dismantled.

Kevin’s clients consistently describe outcomes that exceeded what they thought was possible. One wrote: “I told him the outcome I wanted in my case and he delivered it 100%.” Another said: “Kevin did an amazing, seemingly effortless job of handling my case. His experience and vision allowed for a level of preparedness and contingency planning that frankly humbled me on the day we faced the judge.”

A Firm That Other Lawyers and Judges Turn To

The ultimate measure of an attorney’s authority is who comes to them for guidance. Vic Carmody Jr. has consulted with criminal law firms throughout Mississippi and dozens of other states on complex DUI cases. He is the DUI chairman for continuing education seminars at the University of Mississippi. He teaches at Harvard Law School. Judges across the state keep his book on their shelves. Other attorneys hire him to consult on their toughest cases.

When the people who practice law for a living choose Vic Carmody as their resource, that tells you everything you need to know about where he stands in the legal community.

Recognitions and Ratings

Vic Carmody Jr.’s credentials have been recognized by every major legal rating organization:

He has been selected as a Super Lawyer in DUI and criminal defense for over 20 consecutive years — placing him in the top 5% of attorneys in the state. He holds the Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent 5.0 rating, the highest professional competence and ethics rating available. He was selected as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Mississippi by the American Trial Lawyers Association. He was named one of the Top 50 Leaders in Law by the Mississippi Business Journal. He is BBB accredited with an A rating.

Each of these recognitions is based on peer review, professional achievement, and demonstrated results.

Call the Attorney Who Wrote the Book

Your DUI case is too important to entrust to a general practice attorney who handles DUI cases among a dozen other practice areas. Vic Carmody Jr. practices 100% criminal defense. He and Kevin Stewart have dedicated their careers to mastering Mississippi DUI law — and they literally wrote the reference book that defines it.

Call (601) 948-4444 now for your free lawyer case review — or toll free at (800) 360-3847. Free consultations are available in our Flowood office at 781 Liberty Road, by phone, or over Zoom, whichever works best for you. Flexible payment plans are available.