I am a Past President of the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Panel Representative of the Federal C.J.A. Criminal Defense Panel in the Southern District of Illinois, a founding member of the SDIL's Federal Bar Association chapter, a past board member and current passive member of the St. Clair County Bar Association, and a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.  On several occasions, I've served as a lecturer at criminal defense seminars in Chicago and in downstate Illinois, where I have taught trial skills and 4th Amendment search and seizure laws to fellow attorneys.  I've been identified by my peers in statewide surveys as a 'Leading Lawyer' in the area of criminal defense.  I handle state and federal cases.

In 2001, my career as a criminal defense lawyer began as a St. Clair County Public Defender, where I won numerous consecutive criminal trials during a six months tenure. Thereafter, I spent a little over a year working as a federal law clerk in the Southern District of Illinois, serving two former Chief Judges, namely G. Patrick Murphy and Michael J. Reagan.  In June of 2003, I entered private practice as an associate working under two prominent criminal defense attorneys, namely the Honorable John O'Gara and the current St. Clair County State's attorney, James Gomric, Jr.  In 2005, I started my own law firm, which still operates today under the name Kuehn, Beasley & Young. 

I have obtained several favorable trial verdicts over my years of practice.  Within the past few years, in three separate first degree murder cases, I earned outright acquittals.  In two other first degree murder prosecutions that proceeded to trial, my clients were acquitted of first degree murder and second degree murder, but convicted of manslaughter.  One client received a probationary term and the other recieved a 5-year term to be served at 50% .  Additionally, I recently represented a client at a jury trial on charges of attempted first degree murder and three counts of aggravated battery with a firearm.  He was acquitted on all charges.  My reputation in the legal community as a successful criminal defense lawyer and as a successful trial lawyer is perhaps best evidenced by the fact that several lawyers and police officers have retained my services. 

I live in Belleville with his wife, Ashlie, and my three children, Jack, Brooke, and Caroline.