Criminal Defense

Masked people abound as Covid-19 continues without a care, moving from host to host, slowing here and surging there. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that coronavirus must not be permitted to water down justice. For Due Process and the Sixth Amendment's Confrontation Clause...

LEO -- law enforcement officers -- home searches can only lawfully take place with a valid search warrant, sufficient consent from an authorized person, or (infrequently) exigent circumstances. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that police search caselaw is not as friendly to criminal...

A mistrial can happen for a number of reasons in Virginia, including a hung jury and evidence of misconduct in the jury room. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that a criminal defendants' Fifth Amendment Double Jeopardy rights bar a retrial after a mistrial...

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant drug. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that a Virginia conviction for meth possession carries up to ten years in prison, as opposed to a conviction for meth (or any other Schedule I or II drug) possession with...

Fairfax policing of course is not immune from misconduct, because police are humans, and all humans are fallible. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I am thankful that body camera footage caught Fairfax County, Virginia police officer Tyler Timberlake unnecessarily tasing a disoriented man not just...

Before returning to society after loosening of societal Covid-19 restrictions, you owe it to yourself to be reminded of your rights in dealing with police and the criminal justice system. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that the difference between knowing and asserting those...

Captivating jurors in a persuasive, real, and in the moment manner can help them forget any negative preconceived notions about criminal defense lawyers, and lead the jury to focus on the lawyer's words and word images instead. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know the...

Two bites at the apple are available when a Virginia criminal defendant first proceeds to a misdemeanor trial or probation violation trial in District Court. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I tell my clients that we are going to fight like hell to obtain a...

Demonstrators nationwide are hitting the streets demanding real policing reform, ending racism, and justice reform after George Floyd died while a Minneapolis police officer pinned him down for many minutes with the cop's knee. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I have been unable to keep...

Failing to appear in court -- also known as FTA -- happens too often with too many criminal defendants. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that judges take FTA's very seriously, and that failing to appear for a felony court date exposes one to...