Significant Verdicts/Criminal Defense
- Kanawha County – the defendant was accused of first-degree sexual assault (rape). The case proceeded to a jury trial. The defendant was found not guilty and was acquitted of all charges.
- Putnam County – the defendant was accused of leading a conspiracy to steal automobiles. The case proceeded to a jury trial. The defendant was found not guilty and acquitted of all charges.
- Kanawha County – the defendant was accused of shooting and killing another man in a drug transaction. The charge was first-degree murder which carried a possible sentence of life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. The charge was pled down to second-degree murder and the defendant was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. The defendant was expected to be released after approximately 7 years contingent upon time off for good behavior. This result would not have been possible without Mr. Van Bibber's strong history of not guilty verdicts.
- Kanawha County – the defendant was accused of shooting and killing a Kanawha County man. The charge was first-degree murder which carried a possible sentence of life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. State was initially unwilling to allow the defendant to plead to a lesser charge and the case proceeded to a jury trial. After several days of deliberation the jury was unable to reach a decision and a hung jury was declared. The state then allowed the defendant to plead to the lesser charge of second-degree murder and the defendant was sentenced to a minimum of 10 years imprisonment. The defendant was expected to be released after approximately 8 years contingent upon time off for good behavior. Again this result would not have been possible without Mr. Van Bibber's trial experience which resulted in the initial hung jury.
- Putnam County – the defendant was accused of striking his ex-girlfriend. The charge was domestic battery and although only a misdemeanor, a conviction would have resulted in the loss of the defendant's gun rights. The case proceeded to a jury trial. Mr. Van Bibber successfully argued to the jury that the case was really a ploy to assist the alleged victim in a long-running custody battle over the parties minor daughter. The defendant was found not guilty and acquitted of all charges.
- Putnam County – Father was charged with domestic battery for striking his son with a weapon. A domestic battery conviction carries a life time ban on gun ownership and Father was a gun collector. Mr. Van Bibber argued self defense and the Jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty.
- Cabell County – Defendant charged with felony possession of large quantity of drugs. Mr. Van Bibber argued that the search warrant was defective and violated the 4th Amendmant. The Court ruled that the search warrant was defective and excluded all evidence seized under the warrant. The case was then dismissed.