Criminal Defense
Challenges versus problems in Virginia criminal court
In many ways, my Fairfax criminal defense lawyer blog is a tool for my self exploration and self development, and to remind myself of the best ways to get and stay on the right path. If I do not write down and crystallize my key...
The difference between handling flung dung in the battlefield versus from behind the keyboard
Deepak Chopra once replied to a barb that he is full of dung: “But shit recycles as life !” Without taking away from Dr. Chopra my praise for his reply, he replied from the distance of space and time from the Twitter attacker. Dr. Chopra’s...
SCOTUS erodes Fourth Amendment by giving too much credence to 911 callers
No matter how non-plussed, at best, that I am overall about President Obama, his two Republican opponents doubtlessly would have placed much bigger threats on the federal bench than Obama would ever nominate. On April22, 2014, the dangers of Ronald Reagan’s, George Bush I’s and...
Engaging with clients in the place where they are, even if on a roller coaster
One of my favorite clients and I were debriefing about his case, and talking and joking a lot just as regular people — not as lawyer to client — in a courthouse conference room, after we scheduled the next proceeding in his case. This man...
Nothing beats giving clients my full time and attention, with no barriers
For my criminal defense clients, I am here to help them get back to harmony and balance from the imbalanced situation of their prosecution. My clients manage this imbalance in ways, ranging from equanimity, to trying to submerge their concerns, to sleeplessness, to often starting...
Virginia: The sentencing firestorm that comes with accessing more than one child pornography image
A psychological experiment was performed with alcoholics, administering electrical shocks to them each time they drank liquor. At least some of them continued to imbibe despite the shocks. I have heard stories of people so addicted to crack cocaine that they have sold crack to...
“Law and Order” Judges are to be Persuaded, not Feared
I knew a trial judge in my home state of Connecticut starting before he became a judge, and referred to him a few times to a family member as the “hanging judge”, because I was not fond to learn that he apparently was okay with the...
The wild ride of criminal defense – The unfolding inspiration of victories
Criminal defense is a wild ride. One day, I am sitting on top of the world with a big court victory, the next day I am appearing before a very difficult judge to say the least, and the next day I am talking to a...
Helping clients make informed decisions
For better or worse, negotiations are an essential part of criminal and civil litigation, running from seeking dismissals of cases, to each party’s giving up part of the loaf. Criminal negotiations usually are not games of chicken, unless the police or prosecutors have done underhanded...
How a criminal defense lawyer can persuade without being sucked into human drama
Most of my criminal defense clients manage their daily lives rather well in the face of their pending court cases. Some get consumed by their cases from time to time, and sometimes share that with me. I have thought of criminal defense lawyers being akin...