David Goudreau
Partner
David Goudreau is a Partner at Meltzer & Bell, P.A. He studied Criminology at Florida State University, earning cum laude honors. It was there that he first discovered his passion for the law, working right alongside a local attorney who would later be appointed to the Federal Judiciary.
After college, Mr. Goudreau moved back to South Florida to attend the Florida International University College of Law. There, he served as the President of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society, Vice-President of the Criminal Law Society, and Treasurer of the Student Body Government. He was named to the Dean’s List in four out of six semesters and received the “Book Award” for having the top class grade in Criminal Procedure.
As a member of the Board of Advocates, Mr. Goudreau competed in three state-wide mock trial competitions. It was from those trial team competitions that Mr. Goudreau’s love of trial practice came about. After a brief stint at the Miami-Dade State’s Attorney’s Office, he realized he was on the wrong side, a notion that was confirmed after spending a year as a Certified Legal Intern at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office.
Once out of law school, Mr. Goudreau accepted a position at the West Palm Beach Office of the Public Defender. In his six-and-a-half years at the office, Mr. Goudreau defended over 1000 cases and served as trial counsel in more than 50 jury trials.
Of those jury trials, 22 of them were Driving Under the Influence cases. A majority of those jury trials ended with an acquittal.
Mr. Goudreau was soon promoted to the felony division. As a result of his success there, he was offered a coveted position in the “Serious Crimes Division.” For nearly eighteen months, he exclusively handled punishable by life cases ranging from Robbery and Sexual Battery, to First and Second Degree Murders. Of his assigned “Serious Crimes” cases, Mr. Goudreau represented 10 clients all the way through a jury trial and verdict.
Mr. Goudreau was fortunate to attend a number of significant conferences while employed at the Office of the Public Defender. He attended the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers 2016 Annual Conference, where he learned from program instructors such as Barry Scheck (DNA attorney in the O.J. Simpson trial) and Jerome Buting (attorney for Steven Avery, the Defendant from “Making a Murderer.”) He attended the “Murder, Malice, and Mayhem” conference which primarily focused on the defense of violent criminal accusations. Mr. Goudreau was also accepted into the prestigious National Criminal Defense College in Macon, Georgia. There, he took part in an intense two-week training program taught by some of the greatest legal minds in America.
In his final trial at the Public Defender’s Office, Mr. Goudreau was able to secure a Not Guilty verdict for his client charged with Attempted First Degree Murder with a Firearm and Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Law Enforcement Officer.
Since moving on to private practice from the Public Defender’s Office in West Palm Beach, Florida, Mr. Goudreau has continued to handle the most serious cases ranging from felony driving under the influence, to drug trafficking, all the way up to first degree murder cases. Mr. Goudreau also picked up right where he left off when he used to handle misdemeanor driving cases early in his career at the Public Defender’s Office, zealously representing clients charged with DUI and other minor traffic-related offenses. The relationships Mr. Goudreau has cultivated over the years with the local Judges and Prosecutors helped him seamlessly transition back into handling all types and levels of Criminal Defense cases.
High-Profile Cases in Private Practice
Private practice has afforded Mr. Goudreau the opportunity to continue practicing complex and oftentimes high stakes criminal defense. It also allowed him to expand the areas of legal practice that he had grown accustomed to at the Public Defender’s Office. After years of handling exclusively homicide cases, sex cases, large drug trafficking cases, robbery cases, and other serious crime matters, private practice allowed Mr. Goudreau to return to the practice of Driving Under the Influence defense as well as the defense of other misdemeanor type cases.
Two of the first cases Mr. Goudreau handled in private practice were a Palm Beach Island Driving Under the Influence Serious Bodily Injury case and an Attempted First-Degree Murder Case.
Landmark Felony DUI Case Merges Criminal Defense and Civil Litigation with Groundbreaking Outcome
This particular Felony DUI case bridged the gap between criminal law and civil litigation, as our client had a unique opportunity to cooperate with both the government and the Victim’s family to bring a “Dram Shop” civil lawsuit against the restaurant responsible for the over-distribution of alcohol. Although the facts of the case were gravely serious, the combination of our client’s cooperation and Mr. Goudreau’s zealous advocacy resulted in a negotiated plea agreement with no incarceration.
Swift Dismissal in Attempted First-Degree Murder Case Following Crucial Evidence Revelation
The Attempted First-Degree Murder case went on for just a short period of time. Through pre-file investigation, facts were discovered that materially contradicted the arresting officer’s police report. This information was brought to the attention of the prosecutor handling the case who immediately agreed to release our Client from custody pending further investigation. Once all of the evidence was reviewed, Mr. Goudreau scheduled a deposition of the arresting officer which took place less than 90 days after the arrest, an uncommon pace for a system that moves notoriously slow. At deposition, Mr. Goudreau methodically dismantled the State’s case and any reasonable likelihood of a successful prosecution. The State dismissed the Attempted First-Degree Murder charge before the next court date.
Mr. Goudreau of Meltzer & Bell, P.A. Delivers Robust Defense, Securing Freedom for Clients Facing Life Sentences
Through his years at Meltzer & Bell, P.A., Mr. Goudreau has represented hundreds of clients, including more than a dozen clients who faced life in prison if convicted at trial. He regularly works with private investigators, expert witnesses, doctors, ballistics specialists, pathologists, crime scene analysts, and forensic psychologists to allow for the best possible representation, for any client, facing any situation. Mr. Goudreau’s clients have included attorneys, business owners, doctors, and multiple police officers who have all placed their trust in him during a critical moment in their life.
Moving into private practice also meant practicing law in other jurisdictions. While the firm has since expanded and hired two attorneys to run our Treasure Coast Office, Mr. Goudreau spent nearly two years laying its foundation. At one point, Mr. Goudreau was representing clients on punishable by life cases in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Volusia Counties, while still practicing primarily in Palm Beach County. During that period of time, Mr. Goudreau litigated numerous motions to suppress evidence, motions to dismiss, and jury trials outside of Palm Beach County. With the expansion of the firm’s Treasure Coast office, Mr. Goudreau was able to again practice almost exclusively in Palm Beach County, alongside the Judges and Prosecutors with whom he has spent more than a decade cultivating relationships.
Career-Defining Victory: Mr. Goudreau Achieves Dismissal in High-Stakes First-Degree Murder Defense
In a career defining and life changing case for many, Mr. Goudreau was hired in 2021 to represent a client for a charge of First-Degree Murder with a Firearm. The State initially contemplated seeking the death penalty after bringing the case in front of a grand jury and obtaining an Indictment. For twenty-six months, Mr. Goudreau worked day in and day out on this case. Over forty depositions were taken, motions were filed, pre-trial release was granted after a grueling bond hearing, expert witnesses and investigators worked tirelessly to assist in the defense. In the months preceding the scheduled Jury Trial, development after development in the case favored the defense. With every passing deposition, the trial defense in support of a Not Guilty Verdict grew stronger. One afternoon, what would turn out to be the “smoking gun” forensic report landed on Mr. Goudreau’s desk. This forensic report supported the legal defense that Mr. Goudreau had spent more than two years arguing to the prosecutor and the court. Within two business days of receiving this report, Mr. Goudreau had forced an outright dismissal of the entire First-Degree Murder case and his client’s immediate release from custody.
Mr. Goudreau is thrilled to bring his talents and experience to Meltzer & Bell, P.A.
Education
- Florida State University, Bachelor of Science in Criminology, cum laude, 2008
- Florida International University College of Law, Juris Doctor, 2012
Work Experience
- Miami-Dade Office of the State’s Attorney, Legal Intern, 2011
- Miami-Dade Office of the Public Defender, Certified Legal Intern, 2012
- U.S. Law Shield, Program Attorney, 2016-2017
- Palm Beach Office of the Public Defender, Trial Attorney, 2012-2019
Membership and Professional Affiliations
- Florida Bar, member in good standing
- Palm Beach Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, member
- Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, member
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, member
- NORML, member
- National Criminal Defense College, lifetime member