mandatory minimum sentencing
Virginia sentencing must only be by jury at a defendant’s asking- Speak out
Virginia sentencing should not be by underinformed jurors, let alone by jurors at all, says Fairfax criminal lawyer Virginia sentencing starts with a jury recommendation if the jury convicted. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that Virginia is one of only two states in...
420 marks marijuana and my Fairfax criminal lawyer blog anniversary
420 is another word for marijuana, referencing a 4:20 p.m. time to toke and today's 4/20 date to celebrate. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer. I spiritedly defend against marijuana and other drug prosecutions, running from simple possession to multiple plants and distribution / possession with...
Mandatory minimums from juvenile past – Virginia DUI Lawyer weighs in
Mandatory minimum sentencing can bite a criminal defendant in the butt with a variety of subsequent convictions, including for repeat DWI, theft and drug convictions. As a Virginia DUI lawyer, I know that the notion that many people have about juvenile criminal court guilty findings...
Fighting DUI prosecutions – Challenging repeat offense charges
Fighting DUI prosecutions always is essential. As a Fairfax DUI lawyer/criminal lawyer, I know that DWI convictions dog those convicted of such an offense. As a Fairfax DUI attorney, I know that arresting police officers and court magistrates (being very busy and not having to...
Challenge mandatory minimum sentencing for alleged repeat DWIs
Virginia police and prosecutors love seeking mandatory minimum sentencing in DWI cases for blood/breath alcohol levels allegedly at 0.15 or higher, and for repeat DWI offenses. Mandatory minimum sentencing efforts must always be thoroughly challenged.Thankfully, Virginia DWI law makes clear that mandatory minimum sentencing for...
Firearms & Handgun Defense – Beware state and federal court mandatory minimum sentencing
The National Rifle Association may have its allies among lawmakers and Republican presidents and governors, but that does not diminish the harsh mandatory minimum prison sentences risked by those convicted for committing certain crimes in conjunction with possessing firearms, and those convicted of possessing firearms...
First the Soviet Union collapsed, then marijuana penalties loosened, and now Maryland eliminates mandatory minimum prison for non-violent drug offenses
This year, with an extraordinary coalescing of politicians from across the party spectrum, Maryland will no longer have mandatory minimum sentencing for non-violent drug offenses, although with the compromise of increased available penalties for such offenses as second degree murder.