McKinney, Tucker and Lemel

Upon graduating law school in 1965, Tom McKinney’s first job as an attorney was working in the Trust Department of C&S Bank. Shortly after starting there, Tom realized that his desire was to be a trial attorney, rather than one that worked in a bank office. A few weeks into his legal career, Tom was invited to join the firm of Ridley, Simrill and Bryan in Rock Hill. After Bryan left, Tom advanced to become a minor partner in that firm. Since that move, he has served York County as a partner in a law firm, focusing his practice on criminal defense and civil defense representing insurance companies. Tom started his own firm of McKinney and Harrelson in the 70’s. The firm was based in a small office on Black Street in downtown Rock Hill. While there, Tom met Tom Givens, a lawyer with whom he would share a lifetime friendship. The two Tom’s ultimately decided to go into practice together, and purchased a historic house on Saluda Street in 1979 to house their growing practice. Tom Givens gained fame as chief counsel for PTL during its time in York County, while Tom McKinney developed a reputation as one of York County’s most capable trial attorneys in criminal and civil cases. 303 Saluda St. Law Firm Rock Hill Over the decades, many fine attorneys occupied the offices at 303 Saluda Street, the historic house purchased over 30 years ago. Tom McKinney and Tom Givens both still practice at that location, albeit as joint owners rather than law partners. A small house next door was purchased in 1984 and attached via renovation in 1987. Terry Millar, another former firm member, still occupies the attached house, and similar to Tom Givens, remains as a co-owner of the property . In the early nineties, Jim Tucker was hired as an associate in family and civil law. Shortly thereafter, John Rhea was hired from the Greenville Solicitor’s Office to assist with the expanding criminal practice the firm enjoyed. For many years, the building proudly displayed McKinney, Givens, Tucker and Rhea as its occupants. For two decades, residents of York County were served by the firm in a broad range of legal areas, from real estate to family law, criminal defense to civil law. In 2010, John Rhea retired from the practice of law to fulfill a lifelong ambition to be a writer. Gary Lemel, himself a criminal attorney in York County since 1996, became the latest attorney to occupy an office at 303 Saluda when he was invited to fill the gap created by John Rhea’s departure. Today the firm bears the name McKinney, Tucker and Lemel. 303 Saluda remains a destination that many York County residents seek out when faced with legal issues. McKinney, Tucker and Lemel occupy the first floor, while Tom Givens practices out of the second. Terry Millar’s office remains in the attached house. Under Tom McKinney’s guiding hand, his firm is one of the oldest and most active in York County.

Driving under the influence is one of the most common criminal charges made in South Carolina. It is an accusation that is made against many people who believed they would never face a criminal charge in their life. For everyone from Dean’s List college students to hardworking executives to grandparents. It is a shocking event to be pulled over by law enforcement and told that you have committed a crime that carries painful public exposure and long term consequences. Most are stunned at how little alcohol can lead to these accusations or shocked to realize that their normal prescription medications have led to their arrest. Despite the fact that DUI is such a common charge, it is an area of law that contains a great deal of complexity. The law has undergone major changes in the last decade, and continues to evolve on a daily basis. These changes create a variety of technical and factual defenses that will be known to an attorney who practices extensively in this area. Because DUI law changes so regularly, it is important to find a lawyer who keeps pace with its evolution and is prepared to examine every aspect of the prosecution’s case. Some people think that just because they blew into a machine and a number came out that they are guilty of DUI. What they may not know as they are being offered a test is that the results can have a dramatic impact on the type of punishment they face. While the results of any test are important to a case, these results are just part of what should be considered when evaluating the charge. Just as critical are things like witnesses to a person’s behavior before they encountered police, the quality of the job done by law enforcement, and the accused’s own background, abilities and limitations. An experienced criminal defense attorney will be in a position to take all of these things into account when evaluating an accused person’s options and best interests. As devastating as the criminal consequences of a DUI conviction can be, equally important are the many so called “collateral consequences” which accompany such a conviction. Driver’s license suspensions can result from testing or conviction and can last from a few weeks to years. A competent defense attorney will not only be able to review these suspensions, but also any eligibility a person has for driving privileges and how to reinstate their license. Substance abuse classes costing between hundreds and thousands of dollars can be triggered by a variety of administrative and criminal outcomes. Insurance costs can skyrocket based upon DUI conviction, and these rates can extend for years. Finally, convictions for multiple offenses can trigger additional penalties and long term consequences for both criminal exposure and license suspension. Gary Lemel Rock Hill DUI AttorneyFrom the outset of his career in 1996, Gary Lemel has been actively involved in the trial and defense of persons charged with Driving Under the Influence. In that time, he has seen cases made from both sides, having worked as a prosecutor in a court that had an extensive DUI caseload. He has handled DUIs based on alcohol, on legal and illegal drugs, and on a combination of these. He has represented people at all levels of DUI practice, including those charged with Felony DUI involving Great Bodily Injury and Death. He has been a presenter on changes in the DUI laws at statewide legal conferences. He currently enjoys a robust and busy practice defending those charged with DUI at McKinney, Tucker and Lemel.