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Statutory rape prosecutions are risked at the Virginia state level whenever an adult engages in sex with a minor, whether or not the defendant knew the minor was a minor. At the federal level, a prosecution for sex trafficking requires that the defendant “knew, or...

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...

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.

Contested sentencing in Virginia is a gamble. Unless the criminal defendant and prosecutor enter a plea deal involving an agreed sentence that binds the judge, the only sentencing guarantee is that the judge is prohibited from sentencing beyond the statutory maximum.

A cop needs probable cause to say s/he will search a suspect or the suspect's property. If the suspect responds by consenting to a search, handing over contraband or telling where the contraband will be found, the Defendant may still challenge whether the police officer...

Police are not permitted to overstep their bounds. That means, for instance, that police may not tell suspects they have to answer questions, because everyone has the right to remain silent with the police

As banal and even irritating as the admonition sounded when I was in public school, a person can avoid plenty of aggravation and heartache by always keeping his hands to himself, unless needed for self defense. 

Here are some basics for defending Virginia prostitution solicitation cases. Prostitution police stings are common at Fairfax County hotels. One cop told me that some hotels ask the cops to set up such stings because they do not want such actual activity taking place at...

Everyone gets angry, at least sometimes. Anger, rooted in fear, is weakening and even debilitating. However, it also is debilitating for us to beat up on ourselves for getting angry, and to beat up on ourselves for anything. We must continue on the positive and...

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...