6 Best Sex Crime Lawyers in Asheville, NC

Devereux & Banzhoff is a long-established Asheville criminal defense firm whose website lists sex crimes among the charges it defends, alongside white collar offenses, drug crimes, and violent crimes in both state and federal court. It earns the top position here on the strength of two North Carolina State Bar board-certified criminal defense specialists working under one roof and a combined track record the firm describes as more than five decades of criminal practice.

Both named partners, Sean P. Devereux and Andrew B. Banzhoff, are certified by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization as specialists in criminal defense, and both are recognized by Super Lawyers. The firm also carries a Martindale-Hubbell client review rating. For serious or complex sex offense allegations, particularly those that may involve appellate issues or parallel federal exposure, the firm's depth of experience and dual specialization are meaningful objective advantages.

Prospective clients should confirm current availability and conflict status directly, and verify each attorney's standing through the North Carolina State Bar before retaining counsel.

Messer Law Firm is an Asheville criminal defense practice founded by Albert M. (Al) Messer, whose site specifically addresses sex offense defense, including internet sex crimes and matters involving the sex offender registry. It ranks highly here because its founding attorney holds North Carolina State Bar board certification in both state and federal criminal law, a broader dual certification than most area practitioners carry, and has more than two decades of trial experience.

Messer is a former Buncombe County Assistant District Attorney who has practiced on both sides of criminal cases, and the firm states that his trial experience extends to serious felony matters. He is recognized by Super Lawyers and maintains an Avvo profile. The firm serves Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood, Madison, and surrounding counties in Western North Carolina.

As with any firm on this list, readers should verify current bar standing and discuss the specifics of their charge directly with the attorney.

Amburgey Law is an Asheville criminal defense firm led by J. Thomas Amburgey, a North Carolina State Bar board-certified specialist in state criminal law who maintains a dedicated sex crimes defense practice. Among the firms on this list, Amburgey carries the strongest set of independent peer-recognition credentials, which is why it ranks in the upper tier.

Amburgey is a former Buncombe County Assistant District Attorney and holds an AV Preeminent peer rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the organization's highest tier. He has been selected to North Carolina Super Lawyers, recognized by Best Lawyers in America, and named to Business North Carolina Legal Elite. The firm reports extensive trial experience, including dozens of jury trials and hundreds of bench trials.

The firm's office is located at 22 South Pack Square in downtown Asheville. Verify current standing and discuss your specific charges directly before retaining counsel.

The Pritchard Firm is an Asheville criminal defense practice founded by John D. Pritchard, who is board certified by the North Carolina State Bar in both state and federal criminal law. The firm's materials specifically list sex offenses among the charges it defends, and it also represents University of North Carolina Asheville students in Title IX proceedings, which is directly relevant to campus-related sexual misconduct allegations.

Pritchard brings an unusual prosecutorial background: he served for more than a decade as a North Carolina Assistant District Attorney and then as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, where he handled serious federal matters. That combined state and federal prosecutorial experience is a meaningful asset in sex crime cases that can straddle both systems. The firm opened in January 2024, so while the practice itself is newer, the attorney's experience is not.

Because the firm is recently established, readers may find fewer long-term client reviews; confirm current standing through the North Carolina State Bar and discuss the specifics of your case in a consultation.

Edwards Law, PLLC is led by Douglas Edwards, a Board-Certified Specialist in State Criminal Law who spent more than ten years as a prosecutor in the Buncombe County District Attorney's Office, ultimately serving as First Assistant District Attorney before entering private defense practice. That background gives the firm direct familiarity with how impaired-driving cases are built and charged in the local courts, and Edwards concentrates a significant part of his practice on DWI defense, including felony and habitual impaired-driving matters.

The firm's DWI work reflects specific, checkable credentials rather than general marketing claims. Edwards is a member of the National College for DUI Defense, and the firm notes he has completed the same standardized field-sobriety and DWI-detection training given to law enforcement officers. He is also affiliated with the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Edwards Law holds a 5.0 rating across 119 Google reviews at its 38 Arlington Street office in downtown Asheville. It leads this list based on the combination of board certification in state criminal law, extensive prior prosecutorial experience, a defined DWI focus, and consistently strong client ratings. Prospective clients can verify licensure and standing through the North Carolina State Bar.

The Law Office of Joel Schechet is an established Asheville criminal defense practice that explicitly handles sex charges and sex offender registration matters, including work to terminate registration status where the law allows. It rounds out this list as a real, active option for sex offense defense in Buncombe County and Western North Carolina, in both state and federal court.

Joel Schechet is the lead criminal law attorney and, according to the firm, has represented hundreds of clients across the region. The firm's public client reviews are generally positive, though we found fewer independent peer-review credentials, such as board certification or Super Lawyers selection, than for the higher-ranked firms, which is reflected in its position here.

Prospective clients should verify the attorney's current standing and disciplinary record through the North Carolina State Bar and confirm relevant experience during a consultatio