Luke Z. Fenchel is a local lawyer serving the greater Ithaca area, Tompkins County, & Finger Lakes region with a strategic focus on legal problem-solving, crisis management, and criminal defense.

He serves a diverse clientele of professionals, families of college students, and other Ithacans, using experience, knowledge, education, creativity, and technology to provide them with the most effective and efficient defense.

Luke aims to provide comprehensive legal advice as well as compassionate and relentless advocacy to obtain the best possible outcome for each case accepted—whether it be dismissal, reduction, or seal. 

Are you facing a misdemeanor or felony matter in Ithaca, Tompkins County, or the Finger Lakes region, or have you been accused of an on-campus disciplinary matter? Attorney Fenchel has successfully handled hundreds of criminal cases in the past five years—everything from the highest-level A-II felonies to common traffic violations. 

Practice Areas: Comprehensive advocacy and defense.

Talk to our clients. They will tell you that Luke and the Fenchel Defense Firm gave them the skilled defense they needed. We put clients first. We care about you, and we care about the effect your case has on your family and your life. Luke provides you with a free initial consultation. He listens closely to your needs, returns your phone calls promptly, and takes time to explain each development in your case. Whether in court or behind the scenes with judges, prosecutors and police, Luke and the Fenchel Defense Firm use experience and persistence to fight hard for you. You may have been charged with a crime, but that does not mean you are guilty. We understand the difference and we are on your side.

Felony or Misdemeanor Criminal Charges: Representing People, Not Cases

Fenchel practices throughout upstate New York, and has built respected and respectful relationships with the prosecutors, judges, court clerks, probation officers, and law-enforcement officials who form the legal landscape in upstate New York. He has defended friends and family members of judges, clerks, sheriff deputies, probation and police officers, as well as other governmental employees.

A familiar face in Ithaca City and Ithaca Town Court, Fenchel also regularly appears in the town courts of Dryden and Lansing, as well as those of Caroline, Danby, Enfield, Groton, Newfield, and Ulysses, and the Village Courts of Cayuga Heights and Freeville. 

Fenchel has successfully defended misdemeanor and felony matters in the neighboring counties of Cortland, Chemung, Seneca, Cayuga, Schuyler, and Tioga Counties. 

Recent Cases:

• People v. J.A. Case: Client was charged with stealing two air conditioning units from Walmart. Result: Dismissed, faulty identification.
• People v. R.C. Case: Client was charged with an A-II Felony, allegedly manufacturing methamphetamine. Result: Client testified at Grand Jury who voted a "no bill", resulting in the dismissal of the case.
• People v. C.N. Case: Client was charged with stealing more than a thousand dollars from her employer. Result: Dismissed.
• People v. B.S. Case: Client was charged with A-II Felony, allegedly manufacturing methamphetamine. Result: admission to felony drug treatment court with a contract that would result in a dismissal of charge upon successful completion.