Rudolph "Rusty" Shepard
Panama City, Florida
Phone: 850-230-5550
Fax: 850-215-4909
Email: Email Me

Rudolph "Rusty" Shepard has spent his entire legal career practicing in Florida's Fourteenth Judicial Circuit (Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties) where he has handled literally thousands of criminal cases. Mr. Shepard completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Arizona in 1993, and is a graduate of Florida State University College of Law. At FSU College of Law, Mr. Shepard concentrated his legal studies in the areas of criminal law and business law. Mr. Shepard was the FSU Negotiation Competition Champion and later honored to represent FSU at the American Bar Association sponsored Law Student Negotiation Competition in Lexington, Virginia where he was a Regional Finalist.

Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Shepard was hired by then Fourteenth Circuit State Attorney Jim Appleman as an Assistant State Attorney. Within three months of passing the bar, Mr. Shepard was handling felony cases in Circ uit Court. While at the State Attorney's Office, Mr. Shepard handled all aspects of felony, misdemeanor and juvenile cases, as well as appeals. Additionally, Mr. Shepard was selected by Mr. Appleman to handle Executive Assignments; prosecutions assigned by the Governor to Mr. Appleman in jurisdictions outside the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit.

Mr. Shepard left the State Attorney's Office for private practice. In January 2005, Jim Appleman retired as Fourteenth Circuit State Attorney after twenty-four years as the elected chief prosecutor to join Mr. Shepard in private practice.

Mr. Shepard is a frequent speaker on the law, and law-related issues. Mr. Shepard currently serves as a member of the Florida Bar's Law Related Education Committee. A few of Mr. Shepard's speaking engagements have included Evidence Collection and Preservation to area hospital staff; three-time featured speaker on Evidence Issues and the Determination of Primary Aggressor at "Behind Closed Doors" annual state-wide domestic violence conference; as well as the "Legal Ramifications" portion of anger management class.

Mr. Shepard has been admitted to the Florida Bar, the United States District Court, Northern District of Florida and the United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Shepard is a member of the Bay County Bar Association, Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Criminal Law Section of the Florida Bar, and the American Bar Association's Criminal Justice Section.

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We want to hear from you if you've been arrested, accused of breaking the law, or need help with probation in the Panama City area or the Panama City Beach area. Call our 24-hour hotline today so the defense lawyers at Appleman, Shepard and Trucks can start putting our experience on your side. We're also available by email by clicking the red "Contact" link below. You can call or email us to schedule your free initial consultation. Arrested? Call us at 850-230-5550.