Kevin M. McNally

Kevin McNally

Kevin McNally is an attorney in private practice in Frankfort, Kentucky. He specializes in  capital litigation, particularly at the trial level, having been involved in many death penalty trials in his home and other states. He represented an Arizona client who had spent 14 years on death row before winning an acquittal in June of 1995. In 1997, he won acquittal in a cross-racial carjacking/murder, one of the few victories in a potential federal death penalty case. McNally formerly headed the capital trial unit for the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy.

Mr. McNally has spoken on a variety of topics related to capital litigation and criminal law in over thirty states. He has argued two cases before the United States Supreme Court (Carter v. Kentucky, 450 U.S. 288 (1981) and Buchanan v. Kentucky, 483 U.S. 482 (1987)), and scores of cases before other appellate courts. Hudson v. Commonwealth, 597 S.W.2d 610 (Ky. 1980) [rev'd]; Ice v. Commonwealth, 667 S.W.2d 671 (Ky.1984) [rev'd]; White v. Commonwealth, 671 S.W.2d 241 (Ky. 1983), cert. den., 105 S.Ct. 363 (1984) [aff'd]; Marlowe v. Commonwealth, 709 S.W.2d 424 (1986), cert. den., 107 S.Ct. 427 (1986) [aff'd]; Smith v. Commonwealth, 734 S.W.2d 437 (1987), cert. den., 108 S.Ct. 762 (1987) [aff'd]; Grooms v. Commonwealth, 756 S.W.2d 131 (Ky. 1988) [rev'd]; Foster v. Commonwealth, 827 S.W.2d 670 (Ky. 1991) [rev'd]; Cruz v. State, 857 P. 2d 1249 (Ariz. 1993) [rev'd]; United States v. Garza, 63 F.3d 1342 (5th Cir. 1995) [aff'd]; United States v. Frank, 11 F.Supp.2d 314 (S.D.N.Y. 1998);United States v. Frank, 8 F.Supp.2d 253 (S.D. N.Y. 1998).(Carter v. Kentucky, 450 U.S. 288 (1981) and Buchanan v. Kentucky, 483 U.S. 482 (1987 )), and scores of cases before other appellate courts. Hudson v. Commonwealth, 597 S.W.2d 610 (Ky. 1980) [rev'd]; Ice v. ommonwealth, 667 S.W.2d 671 (Ky. 1984) [rev'd]; White v. Commonwealth, 671 S.W.2d 241 (Ky. 1983), cert. den., 105 S.Ct. 363 (1984) [aff'd]; Marlowe v. Commonwealth, 709 S.W.2d 424 (1986), cert. den., 107 S.Ct. 427 (1986) [aff'd]; Smith v. Commonwealth, 734 S.W.2d 437 (1987), cert. den., 108 S.Ct. 762 (1987) [aff'd]; Grooms v. Commonwealth, 756 S.W.2d 131 (Ky. 1988) [rev'd]; Foster v. Commonwealth, 827 S.W.2d 670 (Ky. 1991) [rev'd]; Cruz v. State, 857 P. 2d 1249 (Ariz. 1993) [rev'd]; United States v. Garza, 63 F.3d 1342 (5th Cir. 1995) [aff'd]; United States v. Frank, 11 F.Supp.2d 314 (S.D.N.Y. 1998);United States v. Frank, 8 F.Supp.2d 253 (S.D. N.Y. 1998).

Formerly an instructor at the University of Kentucky School of Law, he is a graduate of the University of Louisville School of Law in 1976, magna cum laude. Kevin is a founding member of the Kentucky Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.