Candice Prettyman joined Mostyn Prettyman, PLLC, having graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville in 2013. She also holds an undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of Georgia where she graduated with honors in 2010.

Candice has a long history of public service. After law school, she began her legal career at Legal Aid of Arkansas where she worked with the AmeriCorp program to help reduce criminal recidivism by providing civil legal services to indigent clients. She worked closely with the Washington County Drug Court program to refer clients to services and aided in the sealing of criminal records. She helped provide pro se litigants with legal advice at the Washington County and Benton County Help Desks and represented clients in cases of orders of protection, consumer, housing and general litigation cases.

After Legal Aid, Candice practiced law as a Public Defender for 12 years, practicing in both Benton and Washington counties. She has represented thousands of clients charged with felonies, from their initial arraignment to the conclusion of the case.  She regularly handled 200-300 felony cases at any given time, ranging from simple drug possession charges to capital murder clients with death penalty sentences on the table. Candice has successfully litigated various contested matters and hearings, including judicial competency determinations, sentencing and revocation hearings, as well as evidence suppression hearings; she’s had over 200 felony cases result in an entry of nolle prosequi or dismissal.

Notable jury trial case outcomes:

• Assisted in 2-week Attempted Capital Murder trial resulting in an ACQUITTAL
• Lead Counsel on trial where 3 of 4 charges were dismissed during DIRECTED VERDICT (that is, during trial but before the Defendant even has to begin putting on a defense)
• Co-counsel on Sexual Assault trial resulting in an ACQUITTAL
• Successfully argued for two juveniles charged as adults (one charged with Manslaughter) to be transferred back to Juvenile Court after contested hearings

Candice has also represented clients in federal proceedings in the area of Bankruptcy while at the University of Arkansas as a Rule XV certified attorney. She assisted clients in the preparation of bankruptcies, negotiated settlements between debtors and creditors, and represented clients in federal courtroom proceedings.  Also, while at the Washington County Public Defender’s Office, Candice worked with the University of Arkansas School of Law Externship program, where she supervised and mentored law students interested in Criminal Law.