trial

Developing a persuasive defense story is vital for criminal defendants in all trials. As a Virginia DUI lawyer, I know that police in DWI trials often testify from a menu of a defendant's committing one or more moving violations; having an odor of alcohol; having...

Navigating around potential Virginia DUI sentencing pitfalls is essential for a criminal defense lawyer. As a Virginia DUI lawyer, I look not only at ways to obtain an acquittal, but also at the DWI sentencing risks in the event of a conviction. Those risks might...

Success in criminal court and elsewhere is not about winning with ideal and perfect circumstances. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that such success is about winning despite unanticipated hurdles, existing judges who run afoul of their oaths, police who don't accept that their...

Virginia DUI lawyer on getting to firm ground after a DUI arrest. Virginia DUI charges call for full and skilled defense. As a Virginia DUI lawyer following up on the first of this two-part article (entitled "Beware DUI guilty plea consequences"), I resume by addressing...

Guilty pleas in Virginia must only be the result of the defense's fully preparing for trial. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that this trial readiness approach to pleading guilty, no contest/nolo contendere, Alford, or facts sufficient to prove guilt (collectively for this article,...

Virginia criminal lawyer on trial readiness steering all negotiating

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 poker face is preferable with negotiations, so that the opponent does not see when the criminal defense lawyer is flinching or exulting. A good example from cinema is in Pretty Woman, where Richard Gere's and Julia Roberts's characters arrive at an agreed price for...