Joseph C. Bodiford
Principal
Joe Bodiford
Trial Lawyer. Author. Law Professor. Advocate.
Joe Bodiford, is a criminal law EXPERT. He is a Florida Board Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer – that distinction is awarded to less than 1/2 of 1% of all Florida lawyers. Mr. Bodiford is also Board Certified in Criminal Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and a certified Advocate by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA).
He is also AV* rated (the highest) by national lawyer rating service Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Bodiford is perennially chosen as a Florida “SuperLawyer” and one of Florida Trend’s “Legal Elite” based on voting by other attorneys.
Mr. Bodiford is a long-time adjunct professor of law at Stetson University College of Law, where he teaches Advanced Advocacy in the prestigious Advocacy LL.M. program. He also teaches Cross Examination, Florida Criminal Procedure and Trial Advocacy in the J.D. program. He was also an adjunct professor at the Florida State University College of Law, where he taught Cross Examination and was also the co-director of the Trial Team (which won three national competitions under his leadership).
Joe is the author of “The Florida Criminal Cases Notebook” (James Publishing), “A Short & Happy Guide to Trial Advocacy” and “Cross Examination in a Nutshell” (both by West Academic), and the owner of eLEX Publishers (publishers of summary evidence and procedure guides for Federal and 22 states).
A former prosecutor in two different jurisdictions, Joe has practiced in 48 of Florida’s 67 counties. You may have seen him on WCTV as their legal analyst, covering big trials and important legal issues in Leon County.
Why should you hire Joe Bodiford? Because he has the experience, the knowledge, the expertise, and the resources to help. There is virtually no case or charge that he has not previously defended, and no issue that he has not dealt with in court. After 28 years in the criminal courts, there is no case he is not perfectly suited to handle!
With 28 years of criminal trial experience, and having tried well over 100 actual jury trials, Joe Bodiford has to skills and expertise to help you.
Combine that with the fact that Joe is a former state prosecutor, a nationally recognized TV legal commentator, a noted seminar lecturer . . . no one could be more qualified to handle your case.
Joe Bodiford: Areas of Interest & Research
- Trial advocacy
- Trial advocacy teacher training
- Race issues in criminal trial advocacy
- Ethics in criminal trial advocacy
Joe Bodiford: 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 Law (by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (a division of the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification)
- AV* rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Florida Trend’s Legal Elite (2012, 2013 – 2023)
- Florida SuperLawyer (2008, 2009, 2019 – 2023)
- AVVO rated 10 (“Superb”); Recipient of “Client’s Choice” (2012 – 2019)
- Tampa Bay’s Top Lawyers (Criminal Defense), Tampa Bay Magazine (2010, 2012)
- Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America Trial Lawyer Honorary Society
- American Society of Legal Advocates “Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys in Florida”
- The National Trial Lawyers “Top 100 Trial Lawyers”
- Over 100 jury trials, countless non-jury trials and motions
- Appearances in Federal and state courts, on all types of charges/cases, criminal and civil
Adjunct Professor of Law, Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, Florida
- Advanced Advocacy (LLM program) (Fall 2019 – present)
- Advanced Cross Examination (J.D. program) (2020 – present)
- Florida Criminal Procedure (2012 – 2019)
- Trial Advocacy (Spring 2010 – Spring 2014)
- Legal Drafting (Fall 2009)
- Survey of Florida Law (Florida Criminal Procedure, Premises Liability)
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
Media appearances as commentator
- WCTV (Tallahassee) Legal Analyst (2019 – present)
- 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”, News Channel 13 (FOX – Tampa)
- Numerous local and national radio interviews/commentary
- Regularly called upon for commentary in nationwide print/online media
Areas of Practice
- Criminal Defense
- Criminal Appeals and Post-conviction
Certified Legal Specialties
- Board Certified, Criminal Trial Law, Florida Bar Board of Legal Education and Specialization, 2003 – present
- Board Certified, Criminal Trial Advocacy, National Board of Trial Advocacy, a division of the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification, 2013 – present
Bar Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2002
- U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1996
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 1996
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida, 2008
- Supreme Court of Florida, 1996
- Florida (all state courts)
Education
- Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, Florida
- LL.M., Master of Laws with honors – December 2014
- Stetson University College of Law, St. Petersburg, Florida
- Juris Doctor – 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
- Florida State University
- Master of Music – May, 1993
- Winner, 1992 National Trumpet Competition (Washington, D.C.), numerous regional and national competitions
- Major: Trumpet Performance
- Florida State University
- Bachelor of Arts in Music – August, 1991
- Florida State University
- Certificate in Trumpet Performance – August, 1991
- Lincoln High School, Tallahassee, Florida – 1987
Professional Certificates and Continuing Legal Education Highlights
- HarvardX (extension of Harvard University), Boston, MA
- Certificate – Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking (April 2020)
Published Works
- Author, Cross Examination In a Nutshell (West Academic)
- Author, Florida Criminal Cases Notebook (James Publishing)
- Author, A SHort & Happy Guide to Trial Advocacy (publication expected Fall 2023)
- 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
Classes/Seminars
- Adjunct Professor of Law, Advanced Advocacy, Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, Florida, 2019 – present
- Adjunct Professor of Law, Florida Criminal Procedure, Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, Florida, 2010 – present
- Adjunct Professor of Law, Trial Advocacy, Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, Florida, 2010 – 2014
- Adjunct Professor of Law, Legal Drafting, Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, Florida, 2009
- Adjunct Professor of Law, Cross Examination, Florida State University College of Law, August 1, 2015 – May 30, 2017
- Adjunct Professor of Law, Co-director of the FSU COL Trial Team and coach, Florida State University College of Law, Spring, August 1, 2015 – May 30, 2017
- Trial Team – Coach/Evaluator/Lecturer, Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, Florida
- Lecturer, “Jury Selection” and “Juvenile Law”, FSU College of Law classes, Spring 2016, 2017
- Lecturer, “Cross Examination, Opening Statements, FSU PAD Trial Team, Fall 2015
- Lecturer, “Opening Statements”, “Objections”, FSU Mock Trial Team, 2015 – 2017
- “Bodiford’s 5 Rs of Case Analysis”, Public Defender’s Office, Second Circuit, 2014
- Panelist, “White Collar Crime College”, Stetson University College of Law/NACDL, 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”, Hillsborough County Public Defenders Office, April 2011
- “Handling the First DUI Cases”, LawReview CLE, April 2011, 2011 – Present
- “Defense of Pill Mill Cases”, Stetson College of Law’s “Law School for Physicians,” March 2011
- “Ethics in Criminal Cases,” 3-part CLE, 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 . . . “, Carrollwood Community Bar Association, May 2010
- “DUI: Drinking, Driving, and Your Career”, Stetson University College of Law, March 2010
- “Criminal Appeals: Bridging the Gap From Trial to Appeal” , Hillsborough County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, April 2010
- “Defending DUI Cases”, The Florida Bar Basic Criminal Law Seminar, January 2009
- “Preparing for Oral Argument”, 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, NBI, October 2006
- Lecturer, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa Police Department, and Florida Highway Patrol, 1997 – 1999
Honors and Awards
- AV* Rating by Martindale-Hubbell
- 850 Magazine Top Lawyer (Criminal Law), 2014
- Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, 2012 – present
- Florida Super Lawyer, 2008, 2009, 2019, 2020 – present
- AVVO rated 10 (“Superb”), 2012 – present
- Recipient of “Client’s Choice,” 2012 – present
- Tampa Bay’s Top Lawyers (Criminal Defense), Tampa Bay Magazine, 2010
- Tampa Bay’s Top Lawyers (Criminal Defense), Tampa Bay Magazine, 2012
- American Society of Legal Advocates “Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys in Florida,” 2013
- The National Trial Lawyers “Top 100 Trial Lawyers”
- Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America Trial Lawyer Honorary Society, 2008 – present
- Recognized by the Florida Genealogical Society as the descendant of a Florida pioneer
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Tallahassee Bar Association (Board of Directors, 2018-2023; President of the Bar, 2023)
- Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Tallahassee Chapter (Secretary, 2020 – present)
- William Stafford American Inn of Court, Tallahassee, Florida, Master of the Inn (Alumni member)
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (FACDL)
- Hillsborough County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Vice-President, 2006 – 2007
- Hillsborough County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, President, 2008 – 2009
- Hillsborough County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Board of Directors, 2009 – 2013
- Hillsborough County Bar Association, Criminal Law Section, Vice-Chair, 2011 – 2012
- Florida Bar Criminal Law Certification Committee, 2006 – 2009
- Florida Bar Traffic Rules Committee, 2002 – 2006
- Florida Bar Traffic Rules Committee, Vice-Chair, 2004
- Florida Bar Traffic Rules Committee, Chair, 2005 – 2006
- Florida Bar Rules of Judicial Administration Committee, Representative, 2005 – 2006
- Federal Bar Association, Former Member
Pro Bono Activities
- Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra (Board of Directors member, 2015- present)
- Capital City Tiger Bay (past member)
- Master (Alumni member), William H. Stafford American Inn of Court
- Barrister (Alumni member), Goldburg-Cacciatore Criminal American Inn of Court
- Florida Bar Grievance Committee 13F, 2006 – 2008
- International Trumpet Guild (General Counsel, 2010 – 2015)
Fraternities/Sororities
- Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
- Phi Alpha Delta