Trials
Judging goes a long way with good judicial temperament, patience, wisdom, humanity, humility, listening & lack of bias
Being a judge is a privilege with awesome responsibility and power. Once a judge stops seeing judging as a privilege, it is time for the judge to hang up the judicial robes. Judging can be exhausting work. The criminal and civil lawsuits do not stop...
Human potential is extraordinary in Virginia court and beyond
My Virginia criminal defense work is about harmonizing and reversing difficult situations and liberating my clients, from their charges. from their risks, and from their potential and actual incarceration. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I repeatedly experience the great things that can happen from recognizing...
Virginia criminal jury trials- Judge may keep jurors who think the defendant is more likely guilty than not
In Virginia Circuit Court, a criminal trial will be by jury unless both sides agree to waive a jury. The jury selection process is critical, not only to weed out the least fair potential jurors, but to identify such potential jurors in the first place,...
In criminal defense, take nothing for granted & seize the opportunities
Many criminal & DWI defendants at first may feel like they have been thrown to the lions. Beyond the veneer of smiling prosecutors, police and judges in the courthouse, is a criminal justice system ready to eat alive those who go to court alone or...
Criminal defense- Preparing clients for a trial roller coaster ride
Recently in a criminal trial that I won, my client seemed concerned when the judge was overruling some of my objections, while he also sustained a number of my objections in between. It is always important for a criminal defense lawyer to prepare his or...
Criminal defense is war, and never for the faint of heart
Soldiers and street fighters battle without referees nor the expectation of referees' presence. They fight in the law of the jungle. As we approach four years of the buffoon-elect in chief's White House tenure, I have low overall expectations of Trump's upcoming nominees to...
Revisiting owning time and place in the courtroom battlefield
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...
“You always smile when you object,” the prosecutor told me
A prosecutor recently pointed out "You always smile when you object" when we try cases together. I replied that I smile while firing my proverbial bullets, and mentioned the great World War II movie scene where the American soldier calmly smiles in the moment, while...
Virginia Criminal Defense – Trial combat by fire with limited discovery
The battle lines are drawn. Prosecutors and police are not the friends of the criminal defense. Judges are at best the referees. A criminal defendant needs an able lawyer at all stages of the prosecution.
Virginia Criminal Defense – Beware when District Court recordings boomerang back at you
In this day and age of quality and relatively inexpensive recording devices, Virginia should join the 21st century by having its District Courts record their proceedings. Until that day comes, I will bring a court reporter or my audio recorder, depending on the situation.
