Edward L. Metzger III

Edward L. (“Lee”) Metzger III is one of the premier trial lawyers in Northern Kentucky. He is licensed to practice in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana, in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and in the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Southern District of Ohio, and Southern District of Indiana. His practice primarily consists of defending those accused of serious crimes in federal court and representing individuals, businesses, and insurance companies in personal injury cases. He is well-recognized for his abilities, having been named by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star from 2019-2025, and as a Super Lawyer in 2026. 

The bulk of his civil practice centers on personal injury and wrongful death cases, with an emphasis on car crashes, slip-and-falls, and dog bites. He is one of the few practitioners in Northern Kentucky who splits his civil practice equally between representing plaintiffs and defendants in personal injury matters, which gives him a balanced insight into how each side approaches these types of cases. 

Lee's passion is in his robust criminal defense practice. He routinely defends those accused of serious felony offenses, particularly in federal court. The long and short of it is that you need Lee if you're in “big trouble,” facing lots of time in prison or other serious consequences. Other lawyers often call him for advice on their federal criminal cases. He is a member of the Criminal Justice Act panels for the Southern District of Ohio at Cincinnati and the Eastern District of Kentucky at Covington, and he serves on the CJA Committee as the Panel Representative for the Covington division. He has tried a number of criminal cases designated as “complex” by the federal judiciary. He is one of the only attorneys in the area to have won an acquittal (“not guilty” verdict) in federal court.  

 He has guided clients through many types of criminal allegations. Examples include:

• Arson
• Bank robbery
• Battery
• Bomb threats/terrorism
• Child abuse
• Child pornography (possession, receipt, and production)
• Counterfeiting
• Conspiracy
• Drug offenses (e.g. methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, cocaine, crack, and pills/prescription drugs)
• False statement in application/use of a passport
• Federal crimes
• Felon-in-possession of firearm or ammunition
• Forfeiture
• Fraud (e.g. mail fraud, insurance fraud, tax fraud, business fraud, etc.)
• Gun crimes (e.g. machine guns, possession by a felon, possession in furtherance of drug trafficking)
• Identity theft
• Immigration offenses
• Insider trading
• Money laundering
• Murder/Murder-for-Hire
• Overdose resulting in death
• Public corruption
• Racketeering/RICO conspiracies
• Robbery/Hobbs Act Robbery
• Sex offenses
• Theft offenses
• Unlawful distribution of drugs (i.e., "trafficking")
• White collar crimes

Lee also handles criminal appeals, 2255 motions, and habeas corpus petitions for post-conviction relief. He is a member of the Criminal Justice Act Panel for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and regularly represents indigent defendants in criminal appeals. He also has experience briefing petitions for a writ of certiorari to the United States Supreme Court.

Examples of Lee’s success in the criminal arena include:

• Representation of a man who was arrested on I-75 and wrongfully accused of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in Boone County. Lee tried the case to a jury and obtained a not guilty verdict and complete acquittal.  United States v. Oudone Thengkham, Eastern District of Kentucky, Case No. 2:25-CR-27.
• Representation of a defendant who was federally charged in a carfentanil conspiracy that resulted in an overdose death. The mandatory minimum sentence was life imprisonment. Due to Lee's adept management of the case and the filing of several key defensive motions, the charge against his client was dismissed. United States v. Terrill Hill, Eastern District of Kentucky, Case No. 2:17-CR-10.
• Defense of a wrongfully accused individual in a child pornography case. The case was tried, resulting in a hung jury and subsequent dismissal.  Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Andrew Stern, Kenton Circuit Court, Case No. 16-CR-841.
• Representation of multiple individuals over the years who were sentenced to no prison time despite pleading guilty to federal felony offenses.  See, e.g., United States v. John Enlow, Eastern District of Kentucky, Case No. 2:15-CR-36; United States v. Brandi Bright, Eastern District of Kentucky, Case No. 2:19-CR-33; United States v. Brian DeLafayette, Eastern District of Kentucky, Case No. 2:21-CR-27; United States v. Contessa Qualls, Eastern District of Kentucky, Case No. 2:23-CR-046.
• Defense of an innocent man charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The case was dismissed after the filing of several defensive motions.  United States v. Nephi Mendez, Eastern District of Kentucky, Case No. 2:19-CR-71.
• Representation of a defendant on appeal following his guilty plea. The defendant's conviction was vacated due to Lee's argument that the conviction was obtained in violation of the defendant's due process rights.  United States v. Jorge Vargas-Ruiz, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Case No. 20-5175.
• Successful appeal of a sentence upon revocation of supervised release. Lee was able to persuade the Court of Appeals that the district court had improperly calculated the sentencing guidelines range as a matter of law.  United States v. Tae’Vontae Miles, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Case No. 22-3245.
• Obtaining pretrial release for a client charged with a capital offense (i.e., a crime punishable by the death penalty). 

Lee also prepares simple wills, living wills, and powers of attorney, and he helps families navigate the probate and estate administration process when a loved one passes away.