Virginia marijuana law is woefully behind neighboring District of Columbia and Maryland, which both do not criminalize possession of personal amounts of marijuana (but D.C. still criminalizes smoking marijuana in public). As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that Virginia police overemphasize ferreting out marijuana...
Marijuana field testing is junk science. As a Virginia criminal lawyer, I say so, because even a drug chemist's testimony is subject to reasonable inquiry and sometimes attack, even when the chemist is completely legitimate with his or her credentials and honesty....
DUI repeat charges should be avoided like the plague. Nonetheless, my urging people not to drive within 24 hours of consuming any alcohol either often falls on deaf ears or never reaches those ears in the first place, until it is too late....
Challenging showup identifications is a must for criminal defendants whose guilt or innocence rises or falls on post-crime identification by the alleged crime victim or witnesses to the incident. Daquan Lamar Scott's lawyers knew about and pursued challenging showup identifications, but Scott nonetheless got convicted...
Beware arrest when in shady surroundings. As a Fairfax, Virginia, criminal lawyer, I know that anybody who stays at a party when some people start doing lines of cocaine, remains with a "friend" who shoplifts right next to the innocent person, or, much worse, takes...
Persuading judges, opponents and others is a skill that requires experience and a number approaches, some of which I address here, here and here. As a Fairfax, Virginia, criminal lawyer, I know how essential it is to skilfully engage everyone we aim to persuade. Today,...
Suspect flight from police can enhance a conviction risk. As a Virginia criminal lawyer, I have known for a long time that when a suspect flees from police, the jurors are permitted to be instructed that flight can be considered as consciousness of the suspect's...
Virginia drug sentencing can involve stiff penalties. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I fight to win drug cases, and, for any sentencing, to obtain the most favorable sentence...
Fairfax DUI defense and DUI defense throughout Virginia often involves dealing with probation violation charges, and dealing with VASAP (the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program). Probation violation charges are too common but typically avoidable. Registering with VASAP is mandatory for anyone convicted in Virginia for...
Fairfax marijuana lawyer on the stark contrast between strict Virginia pot laws versus liberal marijuana laws in the neighboring northern jurisdictions. Virginia is one of the strictest states for marijutana law. How much longer can Virginia keep up such an anti-marijuana regime with its governor...
Persuasive engagement and well-cultivated vibrations persuade in criminal court. Manipulation is not what persuades, as I have learned time and again as a Virginia criminal lawyer. ...
Opening hearts and minds and ears is an essential part of persuading in criminal defense and in any other endeavor. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I fully understand and follow that principle....
Fairfax DUI defense and DWI defense throughout Virginia often also includes defense against charges of unreasonably refusing to submit to a breath or blood test for blood or breath alcohol content (BAC)....
Kiddie porn is so popular with a small sector of society that such consumers are willing to risk long prison terms in the process of accessing, viewing, distributing and even producing such material....
Warrantless police searches are commonplace. As a Fairfax, Virginia criminal lawyer I fully dissect the circumstances of police searches, to challenge any Fourth Amendment search and seizure violations....
Exigent circumstances permit a drug search despite a defective search warrant, says the Virginia Supreme Court. Virginia v. Campbell, __ Va. __ (Dec. 14, 2017). As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know about exigent circumstances all too well. ...
Winning criminal cases for the defense requires ability, knowledge and experience by the criminal defense attorney. As a Fairfax, Virginia criminal lawyer, I repeatedly crystallize my ideas about the path to court victory, including the benefits of martial arts and contemplative/mindfulness/meditative practice....
Winning court cases calls for aiming beyond the target of success and eliminating blockages on the path to winning. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I am always pursuing new paths of winning...
Serving clients is essential in criminal defense. That is what my work as a Fairfax criminal lawyer is all about. This is what I underline to my staff when I interview and hire them, in this world of unlimited telemarketers and upsellers, too many of...
Racial equality is guaranteed in American courthouses. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know the necessity of reminding everyone of this, when too many Virginia courthouses still harbor tributes to the confederacy, erected when Virginia judges tolerated and upheld government- and court-imposed racial discrimination and...
