right to remain silent
Virginia magistrates aren’t your friends says Fairfax criminal lawyer
Virginia magistrates (VM's) must be dealt with cautiously by criminal defendants. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, They are not your friends, as they have their own employment obligations. Deal with them prudently and respectfully, and they might give you good results. Deal with them disrespectfully,...
Mischaracterization of evidence by police- Put the brakes on that
Mischaracterization of evidence from Virginia police is so common as to be beyond exasperating to those who do not know that such evidence distortion may well be coming from around the corner. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know to expect, address and remedy such...
Virginia police officers are not friends of criminal defendants
Virginia police officers are not friends of criminal defendants. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I say this out of pure reality, and not from any political agenda, but certainly out of an agenda of pursuing the best possible results for those accused of Virginia DUI...
Breaking attempt can be proven in Virginia by shaking doors after hours
Breaking and entering attempt is a crime in Virginia, says Fairfax criminal lawyer Breaking and entering (B&E) is barred by Virginia criminal law, as it can be a prelude to a burglary or robbery. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I also know that attempts can...
Rejecting police talks & searches is vital says Fairfax criminal lawyer
Rejecting police inquiries by remaining silent under the Fifth Amendment, vocally objecting to police searches, and refusing field sobriety testing in DUI cases, can make the difference between arrest or not, conviction or not, and a more favorable or less favorable sentence. As a Fairfax criminal...
Virginia probation revocations are risked by new convictions
Virginia probation revocations -- as well as probation revocations in any other American jurisdiction -- are risked by new convictions for crimes committed during one's probation period. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know the stiff probation revocation sentencing that can result from proof of...
Virginia criminal lawyer pursuing your best defense, since 1991 – On police boundaries
Police are not permitted to overstep their bounds. That means, for instance, that police may not tell suspects they have to answer questions, because everyone has the right to remain silent with the police
Asserting Your Rights with Police, Including This Memorial Day Weekend
Like bear feasting on salmon swimming upstream, police often troll for arrestees in such easy picking areas as bar neighborhoods and at such times as Memorial Day weekend. If that were not so, why are Arlington County, Virginia, police out in force on Friday and...
Criminal Law and Immigration – Importance of Asserting the Fifth Amendment by Undocumented People
With the Trump administration likely will come a continued increase in immigration raids. Hopefully the subjects of those raids will know their Fifth Amendment right to refuse to state their immigration status. This all reminds me of my immigration law professor's emphasis on the importance...
On using the golden rule and silence with police
It is not always easy to be calm towards abusive police, but it is best for a suspect to complain later with the help of a qualified lawyer, rather than to address the matter more than necessary with the abusive police officer. As a Fairfax...