Patrick McGuinness

Mr. McGuinness, who passed away March 22, 2021, was a founding member of Finnell, McGuinness, Nezami & Andux, P.A. Mr. McGuinness left the Public Defender's Office in Jacksonville, Florida as a Senior Trial Attorney in the Homicide Division after 31 years of service. During his tenure, Mr. McGuinness worked in every division handling felonies and misdemeanors, as well as mental health issues.

Since 1983, he worked primarily capital cases, first and second degree murder cases and manslaughter cases. In addition, he was the lead counsel in many of the most high profile cases tried in Jacksonville over the past three decades. Mr. McGuinness developed a particular expertise in dealing with forensic evidence and was called upon to present at seminars in Florida and across the country on forensic issues, cross-examination, case investigation, false confessions and a variety of other topics.

Mr. McGuinness' trial efforts and successes were chronicled over the years by the press and a number of television programs. Mr. McGuinness and his partner, Ann Finnell, were the featured counsel in a film "Murder on a Sunday Morning" which followed a local murder case that ultimately drew international attention. After the successful conclusion of the case and the vindication of their client, the film was featured on HBO and won an Oscar (Academy Award) for the best documentary in 2002.