James C. Banks was born in Miami, Florida in 1954. He attended the Georgia Institute of Technology and graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Criminology in 1976. He then attended Capital University of School of Law where he earned his Juris Doctor in 1979. He is a member of the Florida Bar, the Georgia Bar, the Tallahassee Bar Association where he is served as President in 2008-2009, the Jefferson County Bar
Association, and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
In 2014 he will celebrate 35 years in the practice of law. He began his legal career as a prosecutor in the Second Judicial Circuit of the State of Florida. He later entered the private practice of law where he concentrates in Marital and Family law, Criminal Defense, Wills and Probate. He has handled thousands of cases involving dissolution of marriage, paternity, child support, child custody, alimony, equitable distribution and dependency. He
has defended over 30 first degree murder cases, and numerous complex federal drug cases, fraud and white collar crimes, robberies, burglaries, sex offense, thefts and traffic DUI’s. In criminal jury trials he has a 70% success rate. He has also written over 500 appeals to the District Courts of Appeal, Florida Supreme Court, Georgia Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court and received over 90 written opinions.
James C. Banks is a former Instructor at the Florida State University School of Criminology, and has lectured in the Florida State University School of Psychology and Tallahassee Community College. He served on the Florida Sentencing Commission for 6 years after appointments by Governor Martinez and Governor Chiles. He currently serves on the Florida Bar Grievance Committee. He is the author of the Evangelical Lutheran Church In America Death Penalty Social Statement, several chapters in the Prosecutor’s Manuel (1982) and Florida Dissolution of Marriage manual (1980’s).
He is the Senior Partner of Banks and Sweeting, P.A. (www.BanksandSweeting.com).
Away from the office he regularly volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and attends Grace Lutheran Church. He enjoys snow skiing in the winter and his mountain cabin in New Hampshire during the summer (www.Winnespaukeecam.com), and building wooden boats.
He also has run with the bulls in Pamplona Spain.