Richard Jaffe
Jaffe, Hanle, Whisonant & Knight, PC
Through his distinguished career, Mr. Jaffe has successfully defended hundreds of clients facing murder charges, including over 70 who faced the death penalty, and professionals of all types, including lawyers, pharmacists, doctors, accountants, Mayors, politicians, and CEO’s. He is widely recognized as one of the top experts on criminal law in the United States and is frequently called upon by national media outlets for his insight on complex issues related to the death penalty and other areas of criminal law. He has published numerous articles on trial and communication skills. Mr. Jaffe is most well-known for his role in the exoneration of four Alabama death row inmates, as well as representing Eric Robert Rudolph, who is more commonly known as the Olympic Park Bomber. No client of Mr. Jaffe is currently on death row, and none have been executed. He has obtained acquittals in numerous murder cases. Mr. Jaffe is the founder and senior partner at Jaffe, Hanle, Whisonant & Knight, P.C. in Birmingham, Alabama. As a former Alabama Assistant Attorney General and Deputy District Attorney, he brings over 4 decades of legal experience to the firm’s white-collar crime and criminal litigation practice in state and federal courts. Best Lawyers of America recognized him as lawyer of the year in white-collar litigation for Alabama in 2013 and 2020, and Super lawyers named him as one of the top 10 lawyers in Alabama in 2014. He is a life member and former board member of NACDL and a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL). He is the author of Quest for Justice: Defending the Damned, 2nd edition (2020).
