Criminal Defense

As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that police would prefer the non-existence of the half-century-old Supreme Court Miranda opinion that requires police to advise in-custody criminal suspects of their Fifth Amendment right to remain silent before non-booking police questioning begins.

Child porn is a crime that garners revulsion and little immediate sympathy from judges, jurors, prosecutors and the public. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer who defends such cases in Virginia, I know how vital it is to humanize the client (as with all criminal cases)...

When I blogged about using threat ability a as a key component of winning, a non-lawyer friend told me he saw a glaring absence of my addressing compassion, which subject is essential for me as a person and Fairfax criminal lawyer. That point is well...

Threat is an ingredient to winning. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer and martial arts practitioner, I know this to be very true. That is why I repeatedly advise clients not to plead guilty if the prosecutor is not prepared to go to trial. That is...

Collateral estoppel law generally prevents prosecutors from relitigating facts already established at certain prior criminal court proceedings. Unfortunately, today the Virginia Supreme Court placed strict boundaries on the extent to which criminal defendants can benefit from collateral estoppel relief, which is grounded in the United...

Chain of custody involves the chronological movement, treatment, and physical changes of criminal case evidence from the time it comes into existence, and then is collected, packaged, transported, opened and repackaged. The importance of reliable chain of custody includes such factors as assuring the correct...

Firearm convictions are possible without the weapon's recovery, at least when it has been fired. As a Virginia criminal/Second Amendment lawyer defending prosecutions for firearms, handguns, knives and other weapons, one of my first lines of defense in such cases is to attack whether the prosecutor...

Why allow inmate snitch testimony to cause an inmate's execution? Testimony from inmates serving substantial prison terms can too often be expected to be manufactured for seeking to improve their lot, with little concern about the truth. 

Why is a well-prepared assault defense needed for one's court date? Because as a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know how damning is an assault conviction on one's criminal record, and also the sentencing risks if convicted for assault.

Avoiding a drugged driving conviction starts with silence. Drugged driving arrests are many and, like DUI cases, sometimes follow serious car accidents. As a Fairfax, Virginia criminal lawyer, I know that the temptation to speak with the police and the court magistrate is great after...