Criminal Defense
Virginia criminal defense – Avoid others getting contraband anywhere near you
Assuming that Joshua Charles Moseley was innocent of his conviction for two counts of burglary, he would have benefited nicely by following my advice to beware who has access to your car -- and whose car you borrow, for that matter -- rather than letting...
How our law firm bills – Billing fairly to fully battle for you
One of the first things many potential clients ask when calling my law firm is how much I bill. Legal fees are an important consideration, and I cover this discussion at your initial consultation with me. I bill fairly based on the expected work at...
Converting 3 Prostitution Cases to Disorderly Conduct with Suspended Jail
The prostitution police stings continue, including in my headquarters county of Fairfax, Virginia. I have blogged before about defenses against prostitution prosecutions. Now I address a unifying approach I recently used in three prostitution sting defenses from two separate stings, to convert the original prostitution...
Whether criminal defendants will throw their lawyers under the bus and other tales
Early in my criminal defense career, two different public defender lawyers who were much more experienced than I at the time opined that (1) many of our convicted felony clients are seriously mentally ill and (2) many of our clients will not hesitate to do...
Motivations for your potential criminal defense lawyer to do such work
What motivates your potential criminal defense lawyer to do the work s/he does? Being a former prosecutor does not answer whether the lawyer has the drive to do criminal defense work, nor does such experience preclude the lawyer from being great in criminal defense. Coming...
Virginia DWI defense- Attacking claim of substantially similar criminal convictions
Part of defending such allegations is not only to challenge the newest DWI charge, but also to attack whether the prosecution has proven the prior convictions, and whether any prior out-of-state DWI conviction are substantially similar to Virginia's DWI statute. Va Code § 18.2-270(E). Virginia's...
Asserting Your Rights with Police, Including This Memorial Day Weekend
Like bear feasting on salmon swimming upstream, police often troll for arrestees in such easy picking areas as bar neighborhoods and at such times as Memorial Day weekend. If that were not so, why are Arlington County, Virginia, police out in force on Friday and...
Criminal Defense – Beware Trusting Prosecutors
During the Cold War, the United States and Soviet Union did not trust each other, but instead negotiated with each other because each had enough nuclear weapon firepower practically or actually to decimate humanity. Similarly, criminal defense lawyers and their clients must beware trusting prosecutors,...
What motivates and keeps the attention of a jury and any audience?
Last night, my son and I attended Tape Face's only appearance in the Washington, D.C., area for his current tour. I had been looking forward to this performance very much, and even more to spending a weeknight on the town with my son. Tape Face,...
The persuasive and fighting power of diffusing and de-escalating tense situations
Recently, I was minding my own business, waiting for my client in the hallway of the Fairfax County jail's attorneys visiting section. Then I heard commotion where three meeting rooms away from mine, an inmate was ranting and raving at his lawyer, a kindly-spoken public...