Criminal Defense

Contraband possession convictions can result from unlawful possession of drugs, weapons, obscenity or other unlawful material. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that such possession is defined as knowledge, dominion and control over the material. Based on that, knowing presence near unlawful substances unrelated...

Lenity is a rule (ROL) of criminal law that "any reasonable doubt about the application of a penal law must be resolved in favor of liberty." Woodson v. United States, ___U.S. ___ (March 7, 2022) (Gorsuch, J., concurring). Put another way by the Virginia Supreme...

Fairfax first criminal and DUI court dates can involve many procedural aspects, sometimes procedures that are not obvious or seem archaic. As a criminal defense lawyer headquartered in Fairfax County, Virginia, I urge that it is ideal for defendants to consult with a qualified lawyer...

Fairfax criminal lawyers abound in this county that has the largest trial court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Criminal defendants have a dizzying number of attorneys they might consider hiring for defending them in this county. This choice can be as important as selecting a...

Virginia self defense law ("SDL") provides an option for a criminal defendant to seek an acquittal, but SDL does not work when the danger of assault or worse is not imminent. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know the challenge for an assault or homicide...

Fairfax search warrant applications arrive in large volumes each week As a Virginia criminal defense lawyer, I know this, because the Fairfax Circuit Court maintains served search warrants in thick binders that I need to review to find such documents that target my clients. Virginia...

Virginia strangulation charges are damning, and the phrase "strangulation" overexaggerates the situation under circumstances where the allegation is for nothing more than the brief interruption of the blood flow or airflow in the alleged victim's body. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I warn people that...

Virginia crime suspects who do not assert their Constitutional Fifth Amendment right to remain silent are often shooting themselves in the foot, and rarely do more good than harm when talking with the cops without having a lawyer who arranges a debriefing agreement that provides...

Virginia involuntary manslaughter (Virginia IM) prosecutions call for a full court defensive press, just as does with all Virginia criminal defense. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that anything less than full sharpness when driving on the roads can result in very serious accidents...

Virginia trials are often uneven playing fields with some judges making improvident evidentiary and procedural rulings without giving the defense a fair chance to argue the point, with some prosecutors going against the established Constitutional, procedural and evidence rules --whether intentionally or otherwise -- and...