Fifth Amendment

Virginia DUI appeals to the commonwealth's Supreme Court and Court of Appeals will be less promising for DWI defendants now that the Supreme Court has made clear how low is the threshold to allow a conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs...

Reinitiating talk with police after law enforcement officers (LEO) stop interrogation will deprive you in Virginia of your Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 444 (1966) and Fifth Amendment Constitutional protections against your subsequent words being used against you at trial, absent any other grounds...

Police tricks are a common approach for law enforcement officers (LEOs) to coax confessions from Virginia suspects. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer I know that the Virginia Court of Appeals in a recent unpublished opinion. underlined that LEO gets wide berth to engage in such...

Testimony preparation (TP) is a vital part of your work with your criminal defense attorney. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that TP starts with my very first meeting with a potential client who may testify for his or her assault, drug, DUI or...

Assault trials (ATs) can be roller coasters in Virginia. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, my view is that plenty of alleged victims prevaricate to police and on the witness stand, which also happens too often with many other Virginia misdemeanor and felony prosecutions. How should...

Police tactics are many for extracting confessions from criminal suspects, consenting to searches by law enforcement officers (LEO), and agreeing to engage in field sobriety testing (FSTs or SFSTs) for Virginia DUI investigations. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know you have a Fifth and...

Dropping your Fairfax assault prosecution is not guaranteed, particularly if the complainant / alleged victim does not seek dismissal. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that even when the complainant seeks a dismissal, that is not a foregone conclusion. Calling the police to report...

Car privacy (CP) is an oxymoron in Virginia. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that you can be a sitting duck for police if they pursue a fishing trip or worse against you in a motor vehicle that contains contraband or otherwise has evidence...

Fifth Amendment Constitutional rights to remain silent with police are critical for your Virginia lawyer to protect. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that not all trial judges and prosecutors provide the level of protection that is required by 5th Amendment caselaw, whether from...

Lawyerless police investigations of Virginia DWI suspects are par for the course. As a Fairfax DUI lawyer, I know that this state of affairs makes it all the more important for you in advance to know of your Constitutional Fifth Amendment right to remain silent,...