Criminal Defense

Virginia sealing law is part of the wave of criminal law reforms that resulted during the 2020 and 2021 legislative sessions in the commonwealth as a result of Democratic control of the legislative and executive branches of government, as well as who filled those seats....

Police interpreters are common enough when a suspect does not speak sufficient English. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I am exasperated at the lack of sensitivity, respect and understanding by too many police, prosecutors and even some judges toward and about people who speak insufficient...

Confrontation rights are critical under the Constitution's Sixth Amendment. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that prosecutors will try to find ways around this sacred right, including through claims of door opening, as in: "Judge, criminal defense lawyer Parker opened the door, and now...

Virginia concealed handgun permits are seen as a sort of rite of passage for many residents of the commonwealth. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that to avoid prosecutions and convictions, people need to be meticulous in the contents of their firearm purchase applications...

Virginia identification law does not require that the person observing the alleged crime in progress have a perfect vantage point. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that  the factfinder -- whether a judge or jury -- generally is vested with deciding whether the eyewitness's...

Virginia police untruths to extract a criminal suspect's confession for decades have been permitted, to a point, by the Virginia Supreme Court. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, my view is that evidence of such law enforcement prevarication can then be used to argue at trial...

Virginia extended police traffic stops call for the criminal defense lawyer to be ready to argue to suppress the extended stop as a violation of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I shake my head at the shaky grounds upon...

Scintilla of evidence sometimes is the best a criminal defense lawyer can argue, often simply seeking jury nullification. However, as a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that such a small piece of evidence is too small to require a Virginia trial judge to read a...

Reminding Fairfax and other Northern Virginia prosecutors of their chief commonwealth's attorneys' criminal defense-friendly policies is very important when addressing case settlement negotiations and other critical aspects of defending the accused. As a Fairfax criminal defense lawyer, I know that the influx of Northern Virginia...

Courthouse neutrality in imagery is critical to a fair trial for Virginia DUI and criminal defendants. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I am delighted that the one Northern Virginia courthouse finally removed a decades-long confederate soldier statue on its grounds, a rural courthouse finally removed...