Michael C. Tillotson's Biography

Hello, I am Attorney Michael C. Tillotson. Thank you for your interest in learning a little about me. A big part of our representation is getting to know our clients and developing trust. So thank you for checking us out.

I strongly believe that if you are accused of a DUI/DWI, you deserve the best representation possible. This includes having an attorney who knows every aspect of the law, the technology, and the science involved in a DUI/DWI, who will aggressively defend your case, and who truly cares about you. I have attended DUI/DWI seminars across the country now since 1998 when I first realized how complicated a DUI/DWI case can be. I have taken numerous breath test courses and am a certified operator on three separate breath test machines including the ECIRII. In fact, I am one of only a handful attorneys in all of Virginia certified as an operator on the ECIRII. I also have a technician certification on the Intoxilyzer 5000. I have personally held ECIRII breath test seminars in Virginia on two separate occasions. I had attorneys from eight states attend my seminars as well as Judges from here in Virginia. I invited the leading experts in the country to speak. Besides my expertise in breath testing, I have taken and passed the same NHTSA Field Sobriety Course that our police officers have to take. I also have attended numerous courses on blood testing for both drugs and alcohol. You never stop learning, so I continue to attend two to four seminars across the country every year to keep up with the latest techniques and strategies for fighting DUI/DWI cases.

Due to my focus and training in the area of DUI/DWI defense I was honored to be selected out of all the attorneys in Virginia to write the book for lawyers. This is a tremendous honor to be recognized by West Publishing as the lawyer in Virginia with the expertise and experience to write the text book for lawyers and Judges. Honestly it is one of the highlights of my career.

Besides having the knowledge necessary to give you the best representation possible, I think my empathy and concern for you is something else that sets me apart from a lot of lawyers out there. Jeff and I both truly care about people and want to help them. It is the reason I became a lawyer, so I could help people. I have faith in our constitution, and fight to protect the rights given to us by our founding fathers. I have given talks on DUI/DWI exceptions to our Constitution. I stole the speech from Larry Taylor who is one of the Godfather’s of modern day DUI/DWI defense. It is a great speech! As a DUI/DWI attorney, I truly am on the front lines of protecting our Constitutional rights. People say “oh he got off on a technicality.” Really what they should say is, “his lawyer protected all of our Constitutional rights, by ensuring the government didn’t get away with something they should not have done!”

I believe in hard work. There are no shortcuts when your goal is to provide the best representation possible for clients. I graduated Summa Cum Laude with the Alpha Phi Sigma Award for graduating with the highest grade point average in my major. I received my B.S. (not a bad degree for a lawyer to have don’t you think?) degree in Criminal Justice Studies in 1986. I studied hard for the LSAT which is the exam you have to take to get into law school. I scored in the 98th percentile, meaning I was in the top 2 percent of all aspiring law students in the country who took the exam that year. My partner, Jeff Martin, actually beat me. He scored in the 99th percentile. You can read about him in his bio. He is really smart. In 1990, I received my law degree from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary. I am very proud to have graduated from the same law school as Thomas Jefferson and so many other great leaders of our country.

I am a Lifetime Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers as well as a member of the National College for DUI Defense, DUI Defense Lawyers Association, and the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Additionally, I am recognized by the National College for DUI Defense as a Criminal Defense Attorney dedicated to defending citizens accused of Driving Under the Influence (DUI). They recognize all of us who are members. I have all those other Top Lawyer awards you see on websites but those are nothing to brag about. You pay $250 and they send you a plaque and let you advertise that you spent $250 on a plaque. It looks good for the public, but in my opinion it is very misleading.

I offer a free, no obligation consultation for those accused of DUI/DWI related offenses. I own an Intoxilyzer 5000 breath test machine, and an Intoxilyzer S-D5 (a preliminary breath testing device) which I use to test clients who have gotten false results on a breath test. There are about twenty ways to get a false result on a breath test by the way.

The website guys want me to include the title of the book in the bio. The book my partner, Jeff, and I wrote is called Virginia DUI Law: Understanding the Scientific, Medical, Technological, and Legal Aspects of a DUI Case, (Vol. 16, Virginia Practice Series). We are currently preparing to publish the 7th edition of our book. (I wrote this in 2016 so you can do the math if it is on longer 2016! book.) It truly is considered to be the authoritative book in Virginia on DUI defense. Since I am the senior partner (by experience, not age), I task Jeff with keeping our book updated every year. I still provide impute from time to time. We actually continue to learn from each other.

I focus solely on defending DUI cases. I am entirely dedicated to defending your rights and fighting for your freedom. When you call for your initial consultation, I will explain how the legal system works and discuss your possible defenses – factual, technical, or legal. Call Jeff or me today to schedule your free consultation.

One last thing, and this really is personal. I am married to the best wife a man could have. She is my dream girl! We have 5 adult children. I won’t say much about them, but I am glad they are adults! We love our kids, but more importantly for you, who is reading this, I care about you and your case and give you my word that no one will work harder to give you the best representation possible. Thanks for taking the time to read my BIO.

Accolades & Awards for Michael C. Tillotson

Mr. Tillotson was recognized as one of The American Trial Lawyers Association's Top 100 Trial Lawyers from Virginia. The American Trial Lawyers Association uses strict criteria to identify the top attorneys from each state.

Practice Areas Information

We are DUI/DWI lawyers. A DUI/DWI is a criminal case. It can be a misdemeanor or a felony if it is a third or more offense. DUI/DWI cases are highly complex and involve hundreds of potential issues. In our opinion they really are the most complex criminal case on the books when a breath test or a blood test is involved. Mr. Tillotson has been in practice since 1990 had has handled thousands of non DUI criminal cases as close to 1,500 DUI cases. As a result, we do handle other criminal cases when people ask us. We are providing a list of the most common crimes in Virginia. If you are charged with a crime of any kind, please feel free to give us a call for a free consultation.

Aiding & Abetting / Accessory
Assault / Battery
Drug Possession
Burglary
Theft / Larceny
Arson
Aggravated Assault / Battery
Attempt
Bribery
Child Abandonment
Child Abuse
Child Pornography
Computer Crime
Conspiracy
Credit / Debit Card Fraud
Criminal Contempt of Court
Cyber Bullying
Disorderly Conduct
Disturbing the Peace
Domestic Violence
Drug Manufacturing and Cultivation
Drug Trafficking / Distribution
DUI / DWI
Embezzlement
Extortion
Forgery
Fraud
Harassment
Hate Crimes
Homicide
Indecent Exposure
Identity Theft
Insurance Fraud
Kidnapping
Manslaughter: Involuntary
Manslaughter: Voluntary
Medical Marijuana
MIP: A Minor in Possession
Money Laundering
Murder: First-degree
Murder: Second-degree
Open Container Law
Perjury
Probation Violation
Prostitution
Public Intoxication
Pyramid Schemes
Racketeering / RICO
Rape
Robbery
Securities Fraud
Sexual Assault
Shoplifting
Solicitation
Stalking
Statutory Rape
Tax Evasion / Fraud
Telemarketing Fraud
Vandalism
White Collar Crimes
Wire Fraud