Search
Search Term: marijuana
Discovering and Addressing Marijuana’s Benefits and Harms: Four perspectives
Image from public domain. Recently, I spoke about marijuana’s safety and marijuana laws with a forensic chemist who typically testifies for the criminal defense side. He believes very strongly in keeping marijuana illegal — even for medicinal use — and that its benefits are far outweighed...
Converting a 40-plant marijuana felony charge to a half-ounce misdemeanor
Image from public domain. In late 2006, I blogged about getting a thirty-plant Maryland marijuana felony prosecution reduced to a simple marijuana possession conviction, and a medical marijuana sentence of a $100 fine plus court costs, which ultimately was converted to a probation before judgment. ...
Pot Odor – Distinguish between the smell of burnt and raw marijuana
Pot odor is stronger when burnt than raw says Fairfax criminal lawyer Pot odor is often used by police to justify searches for more serious activity, where this is allowed by cops in the midst of constant marijuana decriminalization. (UPDATE: As a Fairfax criminal lawyer,...
Intrusive searches- Fairfax criminal lawyer says pounce
Intrusive warrantless searches of one's body are ripe for challenges. As a Fairfax drug lawyer, I am delighted that the Virginia Court of Appeals overturned a grossly bodily-invasive streetside search of a suspect, even pulling on his underwear to see his bare skin underneath, followed...
Trial lawyers — good ones — are what VA criminal defendants need
Trial lawyers -- good ones -- are essential for Virginia criminal and DUI defendants, not only in the event that settlement negotiations do not go your way, but also as the needed threat to persuade prosecutors to come as close as possible to your preferred...
Seriousness is a hallmark of judges says Fairfax criminal lawyer
Seriousness is the way to go for your Virginia criminal defense. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know the value of humor and engagement with persuasion, but always integrated with -- and never at the expense of -- approaching your defense seriously. This calls for...
Consent searches invite big headaches says Fairfax criminal lawyer
Consent searches not only do not serve Virginia criminal suspects' interests, but invite huge headaches that could have been avoided or minimized by simply having declined a police search. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I remind you that you have a Fourth Amendment Constitutional right...
Fairfax preliminary hearings- VA Criminal lawyer comments
Fairfax preliminary hearings (PHs) for decades have been scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m. and end 4:00 p.m. on Mondays through Wednesdays. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I believe there must be a better way than to pack in scores of cases into such a...
Inviting the judge & jury to your criminal lawyer’s persuasive ideas
Inviting judge, jurors and prosecutors to truly hear, internalize, and accept your criminal defense attorney's arguments is a sensible path, whereas getting all hot and bothered over judges who seem to have made up their minds before even starting court, jurors who seem not to...
Imprisonment avoided in Virginia DUI with 0.34 BAC
Imprisonment and jailing are a real risk in any Virginia jurisdiction if convicted of exceeding of DWI with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeding 0.30. As a Fairfax DUI lawyer, I recently avoided even a minute in jail for my client whose Intox EC/IR II...