Underdog Blog – Fairfax Criminal Defense Lawyer | Virginia DUI Attorney

Exclusion of non-Mirandized answers to police by those in custody is the remedy required by Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 444 (1966). As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that Miranda says in the foregoing regard: "Our holding will be spelled out with some specificity in the...

Departing the sight of police sometimes permits an arrest, at least when coupled by more than mere flight. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that the federal Supreme Court in April 2026 found Fourth Amendment-permissible reasonable suspicion for a police officer to stop a...

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 As a Fairfax criminal lawyer I know that the Virginia Court of Appeals in a recent unpublished opinion.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...

Running from police can give them among the basket of reasons that amount to permitting them to at least temporarily detain you. Devon Lamar Washington v. Commonwealth of Virginia, ___ Va. App. ___ (April 14, 2026) As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that if...

Patience power is among the most essential aspects of obtaining as much justice as possible against your prosecution. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I have repeatedly heard my clients say "I just want to get it over with." However, pleading guilty does not "get it...

Policy (guidelines) sometimes gets trotted out by prosecutors when explaining why they draw a certain line on negotiations, including amorphous or more defined limits on reducing a DUI charge under Virginia Code § 18.2-266, to reckless in negotiations. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that...

Instructing the jury to your benefit must be front and center to your Virginia attorney, and not an afterthought, nor a slapdash exercise. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that attorneys may feel relief and/or exhaustion at finishing the evidentiary part of your trial...

Trial ability (TA), experience, and killer instincts are essential for your Virginia criminal defense lawyer. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that many criminal defendants want (or think they want) an attorney who is a masterful negotiator. I say that ideal is to have...

Pointing a gun at another person risks getting you convicted of assault in Virginia. Duane Eugene Sholl learned that the hard way by being convicted of assaulting a law enforcement officer (a Virginia Class 6 felony) and sentenced to one year of active incarceration. Sholl...

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...