It’s one thing to know the law.
It’s another to understand the land.
And in conservation cases, you need both.

If you spend any amount of time in the woods in Alabama, you know most hunters out there aren’t criminals—they’re parents teaching their kids to shoot safely, folks putting meat in the freezer, or people escaping the stress of daily life for a few hours of quiet in the tree line. But all it takes is one misunderstanding with a game warden, one confusing regulation, or one honest mistake for a simple day in the woods to turn into a criminal charge.

And that’s where a defense attorney who understands Alabama’s hunting laws—and the hunting culture—makes all the difference.

Hunting violations aren’t “minor” when they carry criminal penalties and risk your license 

Hunting violations in Alabama aren’t “minor” when they can lead to steep fines, loss of hunting privileges, probation, and even jail time. Many hunters don’t realize how often these cases turn on small details—lighting conditions, property boundaries, or whether officers followed proper procedures. Wardens can make mistakes, and misidentified bait, incorrect distance measurements, and assumptions about intent happen far more often than people think. We've seen hunters charged simply because they had a flashlight and a rifle in the same vehicle or because someone else on the property was spotlighting without their knowledge, but those circumstances alone don’t establish a hunting violation—they’re just pieces of a story the state still has to prove.

How a Master’s in Environmental Management Helps our Clients

Hunting charges feel personal because for most people, hunting isn’t just a hobby—it’s part of who we are. 

What sets our firm apart is trial attorney Saharah Lawrence and her background outside the courtroom. While not only being an avid hunter, she also holds a Master’s in Environmental Management. She has spent years studying the very ecosystems, wildlife patterns, and land-use practices that hunting laws are built around. 

That education wasn’t just classroom theory—it gave her a working understanding of:

• Wildlife behavior and habitat management
• CWD management 
• How feed spreads naturally through water flow, rain, and wildlife movement
• Agricultural practices and what counts as “normal field manipulation”
• Environmental regulations and the science behind conservation rules
• How to read land use, soil disturbance, and field preparation

Why does that matter in a criminal defense case?

Because many hunting charges hinge on environmental factors, not just legal ones. Whether seed was “placed” or “naturally dispersed,” whether a field was baited or legally prepared, whether animals were drawn to an area by feed or by natural habitat—these questions are scientific, not just legal.

Her environmental background allows her to challenge assumptions, cross-examine wardens effectively, and show the court when the state’s theory doesn’t match the science.

In hunting cases, having a lawyer who understands both the woods and the courtroom makes a real difference. If you’re facing a conservation charge in Alabama, you don’t have to deal with it alone.