Calm in the chaos. Fighting for you in the courtroom.
21+ years defending people in New Hanover County, Pender County, and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
A criminal charge changes the way the rest of your day feels. The phone call you weren't expecting. The court date on a piece of paper. The questions from family. Merritt Wagoner has spent 21 years walking people through this. He explains what is actually happening, what the prosecutor is likely to do, and what your real options look like. Not legal jargon. Not a script.
The practice is built around two things: state criminal defense in New Hanover and Pender Counties, and federal criminal defense in the Eastern District of North Carolina. That focus is the point. He sees the same prosecutors, the same judges, and the same courtrooms most weeks of the year.
A working list of the matters Merritt handles. If your situation is not on this list, call. The answer is usually yes.
Class A through Class 3 offenses in North Carolina district and superior court. Pre-indictment, arraignment, motions, plea, and trial.
Wilmington and Pender County DWI cases. License consequences, breath and blood evidence, and challenges to the stop.
Possession, possession with intent, sale and delivery, manufacturing, and trafficking. State and federal.
Assault on a female, communicating threats, 50B protective orders, and related charges. Discreet representation.
Serious, reputation-affecting allegations handled with the seriousness and confidentiality they require.
Common law robbery, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and related felony charges in state and federal court.
Simple and aggravated assault, assault with a deadly weapon, and other violent offense allegations.
Shoplifting, larceny, breaking and entering, burglary, embezzlement, and obtaining property by false pretenses.
Possession of a firearm by a felon, concealed carry violations, and federal firearm charges including 922(g).
Wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, identity theft, and embezzlement matters in state and federal court.
Technical and substantive violations, absconder warrants, and modification hearings.
Petitioning to clear eligible dismissed charges and old convictions from your North Carolina record.
Most defense lawyers do one or the other. Merritt does both, and he does them from the same Princess Street office two blocks from the New Hanover County Courthouse and around the corner from the Alton Lennon Federal Building.
Call the office. Tell us what happened and what you've been charged with. We'll tell you what the next 48 hours look like.
Discovery review, witness interviews, motion practice, and a written strategy you can actually understand.
Negotiation when it makes sense. Trial when it doesn't. Either way, you have a lawyer who has done this hundreds of times.
The office line is answered around the clock by Karen, an AI receptionist trained on the firm's practice. Call at 6 a.m. or 11 p.m. and Karen will answer the phone. She is built to do three things well.
Karen does not give legal advice. She is not a lawyer. If your question requires legal judgment about your specific case, she will get you on Merritt's calendar or take a message so he can call you back.
No voicemail tag. No after-hours dead end. Call the office and someone answers.
Call 910-218-9669Quick answers to the questions Merritt hears most often from people considering whether to pick up the phone.
Yes. DWI defense is a regular part of the practice in both New Hanover and Pender County. That includes first offense, repeat offense, refusal cases, and DWIs involving an accident. We address the criminal charge and the DMV license consequences as one connected problem.
Yes. Merritt is admitted in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina and has 21+ years of federal criminal defense experience there. That includes drug conspiracy, federal firearm charges, fraud, and other federal indictments.
Yes. We regularly appear in Pender County District and Superior Court in Burgaw. The Wilmington office is a short drive from the Pender County Courthouse, and Merritt has been in front of the judges and prosecutors there for years.
Two things. First, exercise your right to remain silent. Do not explain, do not justify, do not "clear it up." Second, ask for a lawyer and stop talking until one is in the room with you. Then call this office. The sooner Merritt is involved, the more options you have.
Fees depend on the charges, the court, and the projected work. Some matters are flat fee. Some are billed differently. Merritt will discuss the fee directly with you once he understands what you are facing. There are no hidden costs.
The line is answered 24 hours a day by Karen, an AI virtual receptionist trained on the firm. She can answer general questions about the New Hanover County, Pender County, and Eastern District court systems, schedule an appointment with Merritt, or take a detailed message. Karen does not give legal advice.
Call 910-218-9669. The line is answered 24/7 by an AI virtual receptionist.
The Wagoner Law Firm, PLLC