Court

Opening hearts and minds and ears is an essential part of persuading in criminal defense and in any other endeavor. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I fully understand and follow that principle.

Court victory is never obtained through wishful thinking, stroking a lucky rabbit's foot, nor good looks. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that court victory comes from a lawyer's relying on his or her own ability, wits, human greatness, sweat and toil.

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...

Each day in court is filled with experiences from fragrant flowers to fetid feces. You may always decline being sprayed with proverbial prune juice and diarrhea. Some people absolutely adore prunes, whether dried, stewed, or as juice. (Prunes revolt me. I am so prejudiced against...

Police are from the same cloth as all court witnesses, drawn from the general population that ranges from the angelic to the amoral to the sinister. Neither the law nor good sense merits cloaking police with any more presumption of believability nor honesty, than any other...

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...

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,...

When a potential criminal defense client visits me, s/he is looking to obtain the best possible defense, to relieve hsi or her feelings of distress, and to get his or her pressing questions answered about the case. The potential client is not interested in the...

It is easy to find ourselves challenged to succumb to automatic pilot mode during the day, constantly moving, moving, moving. Criminal defense lawyers constantly prepare for battle victory. Judges tell us when to come to court and when to start our trial. Clients merit timely...

In Virginia, willfully failing to appear for a felony court date is a Class 6 felony, jailable up to five years with a fine up to $2,500.00 Willfully failing to appear for a misdemeanor case is a Class 1 misdemeanor, jailable up to one...