team-member

William Kennedy

Beaufort, NC

N/A

Law Degree

Awards

Primary Practice Area

DUI and DWI

Language

English Spanish

About

SUMMARY:  Joe Kennedy is a former prosecutor who has successfully handled tens of thousands of criminal cases, including hundreds of DWI trials. He has attended concentrated training courses in a variety of areas, including the Intox EC/IR II (Intoximeter) Operator School Conducted by the NC Department of Health and Human Services, as well as DWI Detection & Standardized Field Sobriety Testing promulgated by NHTSA.  He has also attended the Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) promulgated by NHTSA. Joe Kennedy has lived in Carteret County since 2009 and resides in Morehead City with his wife, Natalie. Prior to joining Cummings & Cummings in June of 2012, Joe prosecuted thousands of criminal and traffic cases, including hundreds of Driving While Impaired offenses for District Attorney Scott Thomas in the district’s Beaufort office. Joe attended concentrated training in a variety of areas, including the Intox EC/IR II (Intoximeter) Operator School Conducted by the NC Department of Health and Human Services. As a prosecutor, Joe studied the strategies and tactics of elders in the criminal defense bar, while learning valuable lessons from seasoned law enforcement professionals. He also met his wife, Natalie, who was then employed as a Special Agent with the NC Department of Public Safety’s Alcohol Law Enforcement Division.While employed as a prosecutor, Joe also served on the adjunct faculty at Carteret Community College and taught classes in Criminal Law and Constitutional Law.  Joe still serves on the College’s Board of Law and Technology.Prior to joining the District Attorney’s office in April of 2010, Joe was a private solo practitioner and concentrated his practice exclusively in the area of criminal defense.Joe gained admission to the North Carolina State Bar in 2006, the same year that he graduated from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. Joe graduated in the top 20% of his class and earned a spot on the Dean’s List every semester. While At Cumberland, Joe was president of the school's Federalist Society chapter and North Carolina student Bar Association.While in law school, Joe interned as a Civilian Summer Law Clerk at the Joint Law Center aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.  That experience gave him an appreciation for the unique legal issues that face the men and women in uniform who are stationed near the Crystal Coast.  Joe received his BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from UNC Chapel Hill in 2000. While at Chapel Hill, Joe was a member and treasurer of the Upsilon Chapter of Kappa Alpha Order.  Joe also interned with (then) Congressman Richard Burr’s Washington, DC office.  After graduation, Joe worked in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina before attending law school.Joe is a member of the Carteret County Bar, District 3-B Bar, N.C. Bar Association and North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers. He limits his practice Criminal, DWI and Traffic law to ensure that his clients get the maximum amount of attention and resources for the best possible outcome.  When not at work, he enjoys boating, hunting and fishing with his wife, Natalie, and Labrador Retriever, Boone.

Practices Areas

Criminal Defense

DUI and DWI

Speeding and traffic ticket

Language

English Spanish

Contact

Cummings & Kennedy Law Firm, PLLC613 Cedar StSte. ABeaufort, NC, 28516-1901 Office (252) 728-1208 Fax (252) 624-0699 613 Cedar StSte. ASte. ABeaufort, NC, 28516-1901 Office (252) 728-1208(252) 728-1208 Fax (252) 624-0699(252) 624-0699

Office: (252) 316-2634

Website: N/A

Reviews

anonymous
September 2, 2014

Mr. Kennedy was hands down the best lawyer I have ever worked with. He worked on my case for over a year and appeared in court on my behalf so that I would not have to come down until my final court date (I live 5.5 hours from Beaufort). He worked with me on paying off my fees in installments, allowing me to determine the amount and timing of the payments. His office staff is very friendly and helpful as well; they were always cheerful and prompt at answering questions I had regarding the case. He gave me the plan for the case at the very beginning and stuck to it all the way to the end. Mr. Kennedy got my DUI charge dismissed completely, something I would have never been able to do without his assistance. I cannot say enough good things about this law firm. Easily some of the nicest and most agreeable people I have worked with (law-related or not). I wish all attorneys displayed the sincere and genuine concern that Mr. Kennedy showed to me while dealing with my case. Thank you again for everything!

Matthew
December 18, 2013

Mr. Kennedy has been the best lawyer I've ever had the opportunity to have represent me. His knowledge of the law diminishes any lawyer in the past. His dedication and hard work even when I was uncooperative and unresponsive astonished me. He has kept me out of jail, gotten me my license back and had unbelievable charges completely dismissed. He has inspired and motivated me to stay out of any type of trouble in the future. Even with my own sister becoming a lawyer in another state, I can still say I would have Mr. Kennedy represent me over any other in the future and I would never hesitate to recommend him to any one of my friends or family.

anonymous
October 12, 2017

Was very professional and had excellent information. My fears were taken away after our talk! I know now he is reliable and trustworthy! Very pleased, hired him after our consultation!

joshmills2308
November 19, 2016

There is no doubt that Mr. Kennedy is the person you want in your corner no matter the case! Thank goodness for Mr. Kennedy and his great firm. He was extremely responsive and his staff were there always there for me too. I felt as though because it was important to me, it was important to them. I was out of state and they took care of everything and got the case dismissed! Again, there is not anyone who takes their jobs more seriously!

William
September 15, 2016

This would've been my 2nd DWI in 3 years, I thought that given the circumstances there would be no chance of me coming out of this case on top. The advice most of the other attorneys gave me was plea guilty and at best I might not have to do any jail time. I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome and I believe that Joe is definitely your best option!

Andrew
July 28, 2016

Mr Kennedy handled my DWI case recently. I always felt that he had the situation under control and truly cared about the outcome of my case. He was also pleasant to deal with and responsive to my calls. The case was decided in my favor at trial because of his diligence and willingness to speak up for me.

Ian
November 15, 2015

Mr. Kennedy helped me when I thought all was lost. I am in the Marine Corps and was charged with a DUI. The Marine Corps took action and enforced maximum punishment upon me before I was even charged by the state. I thought all was lost and I had no hope of things getting better, until I contacted Joe Kennedy. He was very helpful and encouraging through the whole process yet was very real with me and provided no BS. He represented me even when my hectic schedule did not allow me to be present in court and was extremely professional throughout the whole case. We ended up beating my case and I can not thank him or the law firm of cummings and kennedy enough. I owe my future to them.

Catherine
November 8, 2015

Mr. Kennedy represented me in an unfortunate DWI case. Through his professional expertise and excellent knowledge of the law, my case was dropped to which I will be eternally grateful. If you need the Best attorney to represent you with your case, do not hesitate to contact Mr. Kennedy.

Jess
September 22, 2015

My Public Defender failed to do his job and as a consequence I was in violation of my probation. I went to Joe Kennedy at the last minute and hired him to help me with my case. Without Joe I would have done 120 days in jail. I took all of Joe's advice like paying all my fines, gaining employment, getting doctor letters and a few other things. With this Joe was able to work with my probation officer and the ADA and was able to correct the damage my public defender did. As a result I did not have to serve anytime and I am now off of probation. Joe was straight forward, honest, supportive and very friendly. He was exactly what I needed and he helped me through a stressful nerve racking court cause. It was such a relief to not see my name on the court calendar for the first time in 3 years. Thank you Joe!

Duke
May 6, 2015

Mr. Kennedy is an awesome lawyer. He and his staff are extremely professional and made a very difficult situation easier. I was kept informed of all aspects of my case. I have to travel a lot for my job and he was able to keep me from having to miss any time away from work. Mr. Kennedy was able to get me an outcome that was much better than I had hoped for. I would recommend Mr. Kennedy to anyone!

anonymous
September 2, 2014

Mr. Kennedy was hands down the best lawyer I have ever worked with. He worked on my case for over a year and appeared in court on my behalf so that I would not have to come down until my final court date (I live 5.5 hours from Beaufort). He worked with me on paying off my fees in installments, allowing me to determine the amount and timing of the payments. His office staff is very friendly and helpful as well; they were always cheerful and prompt at answering questions I had regarding the case. He gave me the plan for the case at the very beginning and stuck to it all the way to the end. Mr. Kennedy got my DUI charge dismissed completely, something I would have never been able to do without his assistance. I cannot say enough good things about this law firm. Easily some of the nicest and most agreeable people I have worked with (law-related or not). I wish all attorneys displayed the sincere and genuine concern that Mr. Kennedy showed to me while dealing with my case. Thank you again for everything!

Matthew
December 18, 2013

Mr. Kennedy has been the best lawyer I've ever had the opportunity to have represent me. His knowledge of the law diminishes any lawyer in the past. His dedication and hard work even when I was uncooperative and unresponsive astonished me. He has kept me out of jail, gotten me my license back and had unbelievable charges completely dismissed. He has inspired and motivated me to stay out of any type of trouble in the future. Even with my own sister becoming a lawyer in another state, I can still say I would have Mr. Kennedy represent me over any other in the future and I would never hesitate to recommend him to any one of my friends or family.

anonymous
October 12, 2017

Was very professional and had excellent information. My fears were taken away after our talk! I know now he is reliable and trustworthy! Very pleased, hired him after our consultation!

joshmills2308
November 19, 2016

There is no doubt that Mr. Kennedy is the person you want in your corner no matter the case! Thank goodness for Mr. Kennedy and his great firm. He was extremely responsive and his staff were there always there for me too. I felt as though because it was important to me, it was important to them. I was out of state and they took care of everything and got the case dismissed! Again, there is not anyone who takes their jobs more seriously!

William
September 15, 2016

This would've been my 2nd DWI in 3 years, I thought that given the circumstances there would be no chance of me coming out of this case on top. The advice most of the other attorneys gave me was plea guilty and at best I might not have to do any jail time. I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome and I believe that Joe is definitely your best option!

Andrew
July 28, 2016

Mr Kennedy handled my DWI case recently. I always felt that he had the situation under control and truly cared about the outcome of my case. He was also pleasant to deal with and responsive to my calls. The case was decided in my favor at trial because of his diligence and willingness to speak up for me.

Ian
November 15, 2015

Mr. Kennedy helped me when I thought all was lost. I am in the Marine Corps and was charged with a DUI. The Marine Corps took action and enforced maximum punishment upon me before I was even charged by the state. I thought all was lost and I had no hope of things getting better, until I contacted Joe Kennedy. He was very helpful and encouraging through the whole process yet was very real with me and provided no BS. He represented me even when my hectic schedule did not allow me to be present in court and was extremely professional throughout the whole case. We ended up beating my case and I can not thank him or the law firm of cummings and kennedy enough. I owe my future to them.

Catherine
November 8, 2015

Mr. Kennedy represented me in an unfortunate DWI case. Through his professional expertise and excellent knowledge of the law, my case was dropped to which I will be eternally grateful. If you need the Best attorney to represent you with your case, do not hesitate to contact Mr. Kennedy.

Jess
September 22, 2015

My Public Defender failed to do his job and as a consequence I was in violation of my probation. I went to Joe Kennedy at the last minute and hired him to help me with my case. Without Joe I would have done 120 days in jail. I took all of Joe's advice like paying all my fines, gaining employment, getting doctor letters and a few other things. With this Joe was able to work with my probation officer and the ADA and was able to correct the damage my public defender did. As a result I did not have to serve anytime and I am now off of probation. Joe was straight forward, honest, supportive and very friendly. He was exactly what I needed and he helped me through a stressful nerve racking court cause. It was such a relief to not see my name on the court calendar for the first time in 3 years. Thank you Joe!

Duke
May 6, 2015

Mr. Kennedy is an awesome lawyer. He and his staff are extremely professional and made a very difficult situation easier. I was kept informed of all aspects of my case. I have to travel a lot for my job and he was able to keep me from having to miss any time away from work. Mr. Kennedy was able to get me an outcome that was much better than I had hoped for. I would recommend Mr. Kennedy to anyone!

anonymous
September 2, 2014

Mr. Kennedy was hands down the best lawyer I have ever worked with. He worked on my case for over a year and appeared in court on my behalf so that I would not have to come down until my final court date (I live 5.5 hours from Beaufort). He worked with me on paying off my fees in installments, allowing me to determine the amount and timing of the payments. His office staff is very friendly and helpful as well; they were always cheerful and prompt at answering questions I had regarding the case. He gave me the plan for the case at the very beginning and stuck to it all the way to the end. Mr. Kennedy got my DUI charge dismissed completely, something I would have never been able to do without his assistance. I cannot say enough good things about this law firm. Easily some of the nicest and most agreeable people I have worked with (law-related or not). I wish all attorneys displayed the sincere and genuine concern that Mr. Kennedy showed to me while dealing with my case. Thank you again for everything!

Matthew
December 18, 2013

Mr. Kennedy has been the best lawyer I've ever had the opportunity to have represent me. His knowledge of the law diminishes any lawyer in the past. His dedication and hard work even when I was uncooperative and unresponsive astonished me. He has kept me out of jail, gotten me my license back and had unbelievable charges completely dismissed. He has inspired and motivated me to stay out of any type of trouble in the future. Even with my own sister becoming a lawyer in another state, I can still say I would have Mr. Kennedy represent me over any other in the future and I would never hesitate to recommend him to any one of my friends or family.

anonymous
October 12, 2017

Was very professional and had excellent information. My fears were taken away after our talk! I know now he is reliable and trustworthy! Very pleased, hired him after our consultation!

joshmills2308
November 19, 2016

There is no doubt that Mr. Kennedy is the person you want in your corner no matter the case! Thank goodness for Mr. Kennedy and his great firm. He was extremely responsive and his staff were there always there for me too. I felt as though because it was important to me, it was important to them. I was out of state and they took care of everything and got the case dismissed! Again, there is not anyone who takes their jobs more seriously!

William
September 15, 2016

This would've been my 2nd DWI in 3 years, I thought that given the circumstances there would be no chance of me coming out of this case on top. The advice most of the other attorneys gave me was plea guilty and at best I might not have to do any jail time. I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome and I believe that Joe is definitely your best option!

Andrew
July 28, 2016

Mr Kennedy handled my DWI case recently. I always felt that he had the situation under control and truly cared about the outcome of my case. He was also pleasant to deal with and responsive to my calls. The case was decided in my favor at trial because of his diligence and willingness to speak up for me.

Ian
November 15, 2015

Mr. Kennedy helped me when I thought all was lost. I am in the Marine Corps and was charged with a DUI. The Marine Corps took action and enforced maximum punishment upon me before I was even charged by the state. I thought all was lost and I had no hope of things getting better, until I contacted Joe Kennedy. He was very helpful and encouraging through the whole process yet was very real with me and provided no BS. He represented me even when my hectic schedule did not allow me to be present in court and was extremely professional throughout the whole case. We ended up beating my case and I can not thank him or the law firm of cummings and kennedy enough. I owe my future to them.

Catherine
November 8, 2015

Mr. Kennedy represented me in an unfortunate DWI case. Through his professional expertise and excellent knowledge of the law, my case was dropped to which I will be eternally grateful. If you need the Best attorney to represent you with your case, do not hesitate to contact Mr. Kennedy.

Jess
September 22, 2015

My Public Defender failed to do his job and as a consequence I was in violation of my probation. I went to Joe Kennedy at the last minute and hired him to help me with my case. Without Joe I would have done 120 days in jail. I took all of Joe's advice like paying all my fines, gaining employment, getting doctor letters and a few other things. With this Joe was able to work with my probation officer and the ADA and was able to correct the damage my public defender did. As a result I did not have to serve anytime and I am now off of probation. Joe was straight forward, honest, supportive and very friendly. He was exactly what I needed and he helped me through a stressful nerve racking court cause. It was such a relief to not see my name on the court calendar for the first time in 3 years. Thank you Joe!

Duke
May 6, 2015

Mr. Kennedy is an awesome lawyer. He and his staff are extremely professional and made a very difficult situation easier. I was kept informed of all aspects of my case. I have to travel a lot for my job and he was able to keep me from having to miss any time away from work. Mr. Kennedy was able to get me an outcome that was much better than I had hoped for. I would recommend Mr. Kennedy to anyone!