Kelly Martin is a Legal Editor for Nolo with a focus on criminal law. She writes for several sites, including Nolo.com, CriminalDefenseLawyer.com, and Lawyers.com.
Education. Kelly earned her J.D. at Golden Gate University School of Law, which she attended on a merit scholarship. She graduated in 2005 in the top 5% of her class with Highest Honors and received several awards for academic achievement.
Legal experiences. Kelly has been a licensed attorney since 2005. After working at the trial level for two years, she began representing indigent defendants in the California Court of Appeal and soon established a full-time criminal defense appellate practice. In addition to maintaining that practice, she spent two years at the Office of the State Public Defender, representing defendants on appeal in capital cases. She has also taught several semesters as an adjunct professor of legal writing and appellate advocacy at Golden Gate University School of Law. She continues to handle criminal appeals for defendants in California who can't afford lawyers.
Nolo. Kelly started at Nolo in 2022. She was inspired by Nolo’s mission to educate the public about laws that affect us all and is honored to be able to contribute to that work.
Other pursuits. Kelly enjoys road cycling (despite the spandex) and can often be found riding in the Napa Valley. This activity balances out her love of cooking and her enthusiasm for sitting around with a good novel and a lap cat.
Articles By Kelly Martin
At some point in the early stages of criminal proceedings, whether at the first court appearance or a later arraignment, judges ask defendants how they choose to plead.
Learn how the hush money case against Trump in New York will go through the criminal process from indictment to trial.
The Supreme Court says the Second Amendment allows the average citizen to carry a handgun in public for self-protection. Though states can limit concealed-carry permits to people who meet certain criteria, they can’t limit permits to people who have a special reason for carrying a handgun in public.
On June 23, 2022, the United States Supreme Court struck down a New York law that restricted carrying handguns in public. The ruling has significant implications for the Second Amendment and gun laws throughout the country.
For most defendants, the principal benefit to plea bargaining is receiving a lighter sentence for a less severe charge than might result from a conviction at trial.
Defendants can offer evidence of their good character—but not without risk.
You probably know that police officers are supposed to advise arrested suspects of their
Minors in juvenile court delinquency proceedings do not have the same constitutional rights as those given to adults in regular criminal court cases.
Chain of custody typically refers to the foundation the prosecution needs to establish for certain types of exhibits to be admitted into evidence.
Do you have the right to record police officers doing their job?
