A homicide or murder charge is the most serious accusation the state can bring against you. The potential consequences — decades in prison, or a life sentence — are severe and permanent. If you or someone you love is under investigation or has been charged, the decisions made in the next few hours and days will shape everything that follows. You need a trial-tested defense attorney who has stood in that courtroom before and knows how to win.
Moran & Fisher, Attorneys at Law, LLC has done exactly that. Our attorneys have recently won two Aggravated Murder jury trials, returning not-guilty verdicts in cases where the prosecution sought the highest penalties Ohio law allows.
The Homicide Charges We Defend
Ohio law separates homicide and murder into several distinct charges, each carrying different elements the state must prove and different potential penalties:
Aggravated Murder (O.R.C. § 2903.01) — The most serious charge in Ohio. Involves purposely causing death with prior calculation and design, or killing during certain felonies. Can carry a sentence of life in prison, with or without the possibility of parole; in capital cases, may carry the death penalty. [TODO: confirm current capital eligibility criteria for attorney review]
Murder (O.R.C. § 2903.02) — Purposely causing death, or causing death as a proximate result of committing or attempting certain felonies. Carries an indefinite prison term of 15 years to life.
Voluntary Manslaughter (O.R.C. § 2903.03) — Knowingly causing death while under the influence of a sudden passion or fit of rage brought on by the victim's conduct. A first-degree felony; prison terms can reach 11 years. [TODO: confirm current F1 sentencing range for attorney review]
Involuntary Manslaughter (O.R.C. § 2903.04) — Causing death unintentionally as a proximate result of a misdemeanor or felony. Charged as a first- or third-degree felony depending on the underlying offense.
Negligent Homicide (O.R.C. § 2903.05) — Negligently causing death with a deadly weapon. A first-degree misdemeanor or third-degree felony depending on circumstances.
What's at Stake
A murder or homicide conviction can mean spending the rest of your life in prison. Beyond incarceration, it means the permanent loss of civil rights, the destruction of your family's stability, and a record that cannot be expunged. Even charges that fall short of conviction carry enormous collateral damage — to your employment, your reputation, and your freedom while awaiting trial.
How Moran & Fisher Defends Homicide Cases
Every homicide case begins with a thorough investigation. We examine the state's evidence — forensics, witness accounts, police conduct — before anything else. Our approach is built on decades in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas and real courtroom experience trying the most serious cases Ohio prosecutors bring.
Motions to suppress. Attorney Moran has significant experience writing and successfully arguing motions to suppress evidence obtained through wrongful police conduct. In homicide cases, where the prosecution's physical or testimonial evidence is often central, winning a suppression motion can fundamentally alter the case.
Trial-tested defense. With over 100 jury trials between our attorneys, we do not treat the courtroom as unfamiliar territory. We know how juries evaluate eyewitness identification, forensic evidence, and conflicting timelines — and how to expose the weaknesses the state would prefer to hide.
Appellate backstop. If a verdict goes against your client at trial, the fight is not over. With over 500 appeals written and argued — including cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit — Moran & Fisher is one of the few Cleveland trial firms that carries genuine appellate depth alongside its trial practice.
Why Moran & Fisher
We are a boutique firm. When you retain us, you work directly with your attorneys — not a paralegal relay. Our combined record spans over 60 years of experience, over 100 jury trials, and over 300 bench trials, all built in the courts of Northeast Ohio. Attorney Moran is AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell (peer and judicial rating) and is widely recognized by Cleveland lawyers as one of the city's most respected courthouse defense attorneys.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different.