Criminal Defense

Testing for allegedly illegal drugs/ controlled dangerous substances -- other than marijuana plant material (versus hashish oil) -- commonly takes at least four months in my clients' drug cases, and often longer. An exception is for marijuana plant material testing, where I have seen recent...

Tire chalking is a common way for police or other parking ticketers to monitor whether a vehicle has overstayed the maximum duration for a parking space. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer I know that any incursion of government employees onto one's property might implicate the...

Negotiations are typically a critical part of criminal defense, always from a position of trial readiness. As a Fairfax criminal attorney, I know that negotiations are not always about seeking a guilty/ no contest/ Alford plea deal versus working to convince the prosecutor to dismiss...

As harsh as the Virginia criminal justice system generally is when compared to its two northern neighboring jurisdictions, a blessing in Virginia is that lawyers in criminal and civil cases get to question and talk with potential jurors at length in the jury selection/ voir...

Immunity law needs to be considered by any trial witness wishing to assert the Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I have experienced several case dismissals for assault cases where the complaining witness hires a lawyer who tells the prosecutor...

Sex offender registration is but one of the harsh realities for those convicted in Virginia for rape, other sexual assault, child pornography, and soliciting minors for sex. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that the conviction and sentence for such crimes is a sharp...

Battling for criminal defense clients can be seen either as a great opportunity to help people and protect civil liberties, or else as a constant struggle against an overly unjust criminal justice system. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I choose the first approach, in that...

Consent is necessary for any sexual activity. As a Virginia criminal attorney, I know that mutually consensual private adult sexual activity generally is protected as lawful. Failing to obtain consent can be fatal. Consent is not defined by absence of resistance nor of oral protest...

Silence is the most critical first weapons of a criminal suspect. As a Fairfax criminal attorney, I know that clearly stating "I am not talking" -- or similarly clear words -- requires police to stop questioning a suspect. This is true whether or not the...

Strangulation is a felony in Virginia, versus simple assault being a misdemeanor. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that a strangulation conviction does not require extreme choking. Virginia's strangulation statute provides that: "Any person who ... impedes the blood circulation or respiration of another...