Criminal Defense

Federal executions have resumed this year after a 17 year informal moratorium over the course of botched executions and court challenges. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that defending any murder or homicide case is demanding enough as is, and defending a capital punishment...

Kenosha, Wisconsin was barely noted in the national psyche before police officer Rusten Sheskey on August 23, 2020, shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back after he walked away from police and reportedly -- according to one of the two known incident videotapers --...

Assaulting police in Virginia is a Class 6 felony that gets a mandatory minimum of six months in jail and up to five years in prison. Va. Code § 18.2-57(C). As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I wholeheartedly support eliminating mandatory minimum jail for assault on law enforcement,...

Fairfax optional discovery order ("Order") forms are addressed in part 1 of this article (here). This is the second and final part of this blog entry on this topic by me, a Fairfax criminal lawyer handling felony, misdemeanor and DUI defense for decades in Fairfax...

Fairfax cases do not all have prosecutors assigned for misdemeanor cases, as explained here. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I need to obtain the discovery evidence to which the law entitles me, regardless of whether a prosecutor will handle the case or not. Virginia misdemeanor...

Fairfax judges this month via a unanimous Circuit Court issued a plan against systemic racism in the county's judicial system. As a Virginia criminal lawyer, I am heartened with this step forward that adds to positive steps for criminal defendants expected in this month's special...

Reckless driving is a Virginia Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia, carrying up to one year in jail, a fine up to $2500, and up to six months suspended driving. As a Virginia criminal lawyer, I know that Virginia's reckless law is not proven merely by...

Beware what happens when police find contraband in the automobile in which you are in the driver's or passenger's seat. As a Fairfax criminal defense lawyer, I know that too many Virginia police and prosecutors will pursue a prosecution of everyone in the car, leaving...

Resisting arrest law risks excessive police use for charging unruly criminal defendants, as do charges of disorderly conduct and felony assault on law enforcement. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I have my eyes keenly attendant to that reality when defending each client charged with such...

Case outcomes for criminal defendants can improve overall when Fairfax prosecutors bow out of most misdemeanor matters. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I recently experienced such benefit. Although a prosecutor can be more reliable for producing discovery in conformity with Virginia Rule 7C:5 and Brady v....