jury trials
Scintilla of evidence alone will not require a Virginia criminal jury instruction
Scintilla of evidence sometimes is the best a criminal defense lawyer can argue, often simply seeking jury nullification. However, as a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that such a small piece of evidence is too small to require a Virginia trial judge to read a...
Succeed on appeal if not at first says Fairfax criminal lawyer
Succeed against your Virginia District Court prosecution. If you do not, as a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that you get another bite at the apple through an appeal to Circuit Court. This appeal right has never been more beneficial, now that selecting a jury...
Captivating The Jury – Fairfax Criminal Lawyer On Persuading Jurors
Captivating jurors in a persuasive, real, and in the moment manner can help them forget any negative preconceived notions about criminal defense lawyers, and lead the jury to focus on the lawyer's words and word images instead. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know the...
Two bites at the apple- Appealing a Virginia District Court conviction
Two bites at the apple are available when a Virginia criminal defendant first proceeds to a misdemeanor trial or probation violation trial in District Court. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I tell my clients that we are going to fight like hell to obtain a...
Jury trials – Fairfax criminal lawyer on winning them
Jury trials happen so infrequently as a percentage of criminal prosecutions in Northern Virginia that it is all the more important to assure that one's criminal defense and DUI lawyer has sufficient jury trial experience. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I have tried dozens of...
Public intoxication jury victory – Fairfax criminal lawyer
Public intoxication is overcharged in Virginia. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that an intoxicated in public conviction is not good for one's reputation, and the risks of fighting such prosecutions only involve hiring a lawyer, and paying court fines and costs.
Criminal jury trial defense – SCOTUS makes headway against juror racism
Today, the United States Supreme Court (ruling 5-3) made headway against juror racism. Peña-Rodriguez v. Colorado, ___ U.S. ___ (March 6, 2017). Generally, under Peña-Rodriguez, if a juror's words show reliance on racism to convict, the usual prohibition is lifted against being able to impeach...
Persuasively Engaging the Judge & Jury Necessitates Their Wanting to Engage
Jurors are yanked from their jobs, families, and other obligations to be paid a pittance to render verdicts on monumentally critical criminal and civil matters. If the criminal defense lawyer does not appreciate this state of affairs, it is at his client's peril.
Criminal defendants must be well-groomed and properly dressed for court, and never be in jail attire
Virginia's Supreme Court affirmed a felony theft conviction by a jury, accompanied by a five-year prison sentence, despite defense counsel's protestations that the defendant was in in the courtroom in jail clothes and a jail identification bracelet.