Introduction
Before founding Harclerode Law, PLLC, Alex Harclerode served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney and before that as a Judicial Law Clerk in Virginia’s 29th Judicial Circuit, giving him firsthand knowledge of how prosecution and courts approach the cases he now defends. That background from the other side of the courtroom informs every criminal defense matter the firm handles. Located at 104 Doctors Drive in Bridgeport, West Virginia, Harclerode Law is a family-run practice serving clients across six West Virginia counties, and its results include a full acquittal in a first-degree murder case.
The firm offers free 30-minute consultations. The office number is (304) 931-0479.
Practice Areas
Criminal Defense
Criminal defense is the core of Harclerode Law’s practice, and the scope of that practice is unusually broad. The firm handles cases ranging from misdemeanors to homicide, with specific experience across the following categories:
DUI Defense: West Virginia DUI charges require a defense lawyer who understands the technical requirements for the evidence the prosecution will use. Harclerode Law specifically challenges breathalyzer results, including the certification and calibration requirements that make those results admissible or vulnerable. The firm handles both single DUI charges and multiple DUI offenses, where the stakes and potential penalties are substantially higher.
Drug Offenses: The firm handles drug possession and drug trafficking charges. These two categories carry very different sentencing implications, and the facts of how evidence was gathered, how a stop was initiated, and whether searches were lawfully conducted all bear on the outcome.
Violent Crimes and Assault: Assault and battery charges, domestic violence cases, and violent crime charges are part of the firm’s criminal defense work. The firm has obtained a full acquittal in a first-degree murder case, which reflects the capacity to handle the most serious charges West Virginia courts see.
Sex Crimes: Sex crime allegations carry permanent consequences for those convicted. The firm takes on these cases with the understanding that the defense must be both thorough and aggressive.
Firearms and Weapons Charges: Firearms charges in West Virginia can arise in a variety of contexts, including situations where the charge is an add-on to another offense. The firm defends these matters specifically.
White Collar Crimes: Financial crimes, fraud, and conspiracy charges require a different kind of defense preparation, one focused on documents, records, and complex factual narratives. The firm’s practice includes white collar criminal defense.
Cyber Crimes: As criminal charges increasingly involve digital evidence and online conduct, cyber crime defense has become part of what modern criminal defense firms must handle. Harclerode Law covers these matters.
Illegal Searches: Fourth Amendment challenges to illegal searches are often where a criminal defense case turns. Alex Harclerode’s background as a prosecutor and law clerk gives him a precise understanding of where search and seizure law draws its lines and where those lines were crossed.
Marijuana Offenses and Other Drug Charges: The firm handles marijuana offenses as well as other drug-related charges across the possession-to-trafficking spectrum.
Homicide: The firm has tried first-degree murder cases and secured a full acquittal, the most complete possible result in the most serious category of criminal charge.
Misdemeanors and Felonies: From the lesser end of the charging spectrum to the most serious felony classifications, the firm provides defense representation throughout.
Personal Injury
Harclerode Law also handles personal injury matters. While the firm’s available data focuses on its criminal defense practice, personal injury representation is part of what the firm offers to clients in its service area.
Attorney Profile
Alex Harclerode brings a background that few criminal defense attorneys can claim. He graduated from the Appalachian School of Law, then served as a Judicial Law Clerk in Virginia’s 29th Judicial Circuit, an experience that provides direct exposure to how judges analyze legal arguments and weigh evidence. He then worked as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney before founding Harclerode Law, PLLC. That prosecutorial experience is not incidental. A defense attorney who understands how prosecutors build their cases, how they evaluate the strength of their evidence, and where their cases have weaknesses is better positioned to exploit those weaknesses on behalf of a defendant.
The firm is family-run, which reflects a particular kind of commitment to the practice. It is not a large institution where clients are processed through tiers of staff. It is a firm where the attorney handling the case is closely involved throughout.
Location and Service Area
The firm’s office is located at 104 Doctors Drive, Bridgeport, WV 26330. The service area covers six West Virginia counties: Harrison, Lewis, Upshur, Randolph, Barbour, and Taylor. Bridgeport sits in Harrison County, and the surrounding counties represent the firm’s geographic reach across north-central West Virginia.
Client Focus
Harclerode Law serves individuals facing criminal charges across a wide severity range, from misdemeanors to homicide, as well as personal injury claimants in its six-county service area. The firm’s free 30-minute consultation allows prospective clients to speak directly with the firm before making any decisions about representation. The family-run nature of the practice means clients work with an attorney who is personally invested in each case, not a firm where matters are delegated down a staffing chain.
For defendants facing DUI charges, the firm’s technical knowledge of breathalyzer certification requirements provides a specific defense angle that many clients would not identify on their own. For defendants facing more serious charges, including homicide, the firm’s track record includes the hardest possible outcome to achieve: a complete acquittal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does it mean that Alex Harclerode was a former prosecutor?
A: It means he spent part of his career building criminal cases for the state, understanding how evidence is assembled, how charging decisions are made, and how prosecutors evaluate the strength of their position. That knowledge is directly applicable to building a defense strategy that targets the weak points in the prosecution’s case.
Q: Does the firm challenge breathalyzer results in DUI cases?
A: Yes. Breathalyzer results are subject to certification and calibration requirements. When those requirements have not been properly met, the results may be challenged as inadmissible. The firm specifically examines this aspect of DUI evidence.
Q: What counties does the firm serve?
A: Harclerode Law serves Harrison, Lewis, Upshur, Randolph, Barbour, and Taylor Counties in West Virginia.
Q: Is there a consultation fee?
A: No. The firm offers free 30-minute consultations.
Q: Can the firm handle both criminal defense and personal injury matters?
A: Yes. Harclerode Law handles both practice areas for clients in its service area.
Closing
Harclerode Law, PLLC operates at the intersection of prosecutorial experience and committed criminal defense. Alex Harclerode’s path through the Appalachian School of Law, a judicial clerkship, and a stint as a prosecutor before founding his own firm produced an attorney who understands criminal proceedings from multiple angles. The result in a first-degree murder case, a full acquittal, illustrates what that understanding produces in the courtroom. The firm serves six counties in West Virginia and can be reached at (304) 931-0479 for a free 30-minute consultation.
Website: https://alexharclaw.com