It can be very intimidating going to your first court hearing and you may be worried about what to do and what to say. When you appear in court in Maryland, it is important to present yourself in a way that gives the judge or jury a good impression—and it does play a factor in their decision more often than not. If you hire an experienced criminal defense attorney, they will help you with this, [...]
We see it in TV shows and movies all the time: if someone starts a fight with someone else, that person hits the first one and then says it was all in self-defense. When the police arrive, the person who started the fight is the one that gets in trouble. Despite many people trying to make the same claim, that is not always how it works in the real world. While bar fights are perfectly [...]
You may have been seeing in the news that there was recently a special counsel appointed to a case regarding President Joe Biden. We thought this was a good opportunity to talk about what a special counsel is, what they do, and why they are important to a case. A special counsel is an attorney who is specifically selected and brought in to investigate, and sometimes prosecute, a federal case where there is a conflict [...]
Yes – it’s always worth it to fight a DUI. Generally, you should always contest a driving under the influence (DUI) or a driving while impaired (DWI) charge at the start. This means that you should call our law office as soon as possible so we can explain all your rights, defenses, and options. It’s normally never an option to plead guilty at the initial arraignment. In many cases, even when it seems like the [...]
Most drunk drivers are pulled off the road by a police officer before the drivers cause any accidents. There are many times, though, when the police arrest someone for drunk driving after the driver caused an accident. The police are usually likely to arrest an intoxicated driver who causes a fatality – another driver, a passenger in the driver’s car or another car, a pedestrian, or a bicycle rider. In 2019, 167 people died in [...]
The saying, “Anything you say can be used against in a court of law,” given when anyone is arrested (as part of the Miranda warnings) is also good advice for any texts you send. Any texts that you write, even if you try to delete them, before or after an arrest may also be used against you in a court of law. The government must have authority to obtain the texts, the texts must be [...]
Possession of small amounts of marijuana used to be illegal in Maryland. The good news is that voters in the November 2022 election decided that enough was enough, approving a ballot question to make it legal for adults 21 and over to possess, smoke, and grow recreational marijuana. The ballot initiative applies to the possession of up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana. According to the Washington Post: Possession of fewer than 1.5 ounces of marijuana [...]
Driving under the influence is a serious crime that comes with serious penalties especially if it’s more than your first offense. Driving while intoxicated is not only a dangerous decision, but also one that can affect you for the rest of your life. From fines to jail time, to not being able to go to the college you want, get the job you want, or even the apartment you want, DUI charges have lasting repercussions [...]
With the exoneration of Adnan Syed making headlines, we are forced to contemplate how our judicial system could allow for an innocent man to be convicted of murder. We would like to think that everyone who is sentenced to years in prison is there because they deserve to be there for their wrongful and illegal actions. Unfortunately, this is not the first time something like this has happened, as there have been hundreds of similar [...]
Many of us are familiar with pardons because of Thanksgiving. It has been tradition for over half a century for the president to “pardon” a turkey from becoming someone’s Thanksgiving dinner. We all understand that to mean that the turkey is being granted reprieve from its fate. Many folks are less familiar with record expungements. Expungement is similar to a pardon in that it concerns an individual’s past crimes. With a pardon, you will no [...]
The United States is governed by a complex system of courts and branches that are meant to create laws in a fair and just manner through votes by local and state representatives. The Supreme Court is a part of our governmental branches that makes very important decisions that affect the entire country. It is reasonable that there would be a lot of thoughtful consideration and discussions when it comes to passing laws or making judgments, [...]
Different states have different rules for use and possession of medical marijuana and recreational marijuana. The differences can make it hard to understand your rights if you travel to different states for work, for pleasure, or to visit friends and family. Do you need to take your medical marijuana card with you? Does it matter whether your marijuana is an edible product or a cigarette that you smoke? Are you okay if you fly from [...]
The Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) is a federal law, passed in 1984, that increases the sentences for felons who commit crimes with firearms if they have three or more violent felony convictions or serious drug offenses. The Act provides that a defendant who meets the definitions under the Act receives a 15-year minimum prison sentence instead of the maximum 10-year prison sentence. Convicted defendants can also be sentenced to life imprisonment under the Armed [...]
In what’s being called a precedent-setting decision, Maryland’s highest court recently ruled that search warrants for cellphones and smartphones must be specific to the crime-related information being sought. What this means for individuals accused of crimes is that police and detectives can no longer search through the contents of an entire device, which often contains highly personal information – only content specifically listed in a search warrant that is relevant to the criminal activity at [...]
A Maryland police officer who suspects that you are driving while intoxicated will likely flash the lights of their vehicle and/or sound the siren. Whether you’re on a highway or a local road, you will need to pull over to the shoulder or to any place where it is safe to stop. The officer will then likely knock on your passenger window and ask you to step out of the car. The officer will also [...]
The Supreme Court of the United States’ 6-3 ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen officially made at least one of Maryland’s gun laws unconstitutional. The ruling, which extended the rights granted under District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), allows law-abiding citizens to carry a handgun outside of the home for any reason. Mark W. Pennak, president of Maryland Shall Issue Inc., also told the Daily Record that he believes the [...]
Back in 2003, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, along with the advertising company R&R Partners, cooked up an ad campaign to rebrand Sin City. The campaign, called “What Happens Here, Stays Here,” is one of the most successful campaigns in advertising history. The commercials are funny, slick, and sexy, and rooted in one indelible fact: in Vegas, you are free to do things that you are not free to do at home. And [...]
Sex crimes, like sexual assault and rape, are complex charges with severe penalties upon conviction. Even accusations can cause damage to all aspects of a person’s life and reputation, whether the person is convicted of the charges or not. The most important thing to do when facing sex crime charges is to remain calm, understand your rights, and remember what to do to protect your case. Following are some of the most common mistakes people [...]
If you have been charged and convicted with either driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while impaired (DWI) in Maryland, after you have served your time and paid your penalties, you are likely eager to put it all behind you. As part of the process of moving past this period of your life, you may be wondering if it is possible to have your drunk driving conviction wiped from your criminal record. Although there [...]
The term “deadly weapon” typically makes individuals think of a gun or knife, or an inanimate object that can be used to cause harm. However, recently two men allegedly used a dog as a way to attack and rob a man. According to CBS News, two men and a dog approached an unarmed man and unleashed their dog, and it attacked him, biting him in both legs and his left arm. The alleged robbers took [...]
Prescription drugs are intended for use by which only the person they are prescribed. However, sometimes that person shares their medication with another. This act brings the question of whether a person can go to prison for sharing prescription drugs. Many Maryland residents are under the impression that if they obtain medications from a relative, it is not illegal. After all, you are not getting illicit drugs from the shady drug dealer on the corner. [...]
Here in Maryland, conviction of certain crimes bars an individual from gun and weapon possession. Typically these state laws are in line with federal gun control laws targeting ex-felons. However, a recent case out of the Maryland Court of Appeals demonstrates that our state’s gun control laws are even stronger than the federal government’s, a decision that could affect many people in the future. Some background on the case Mashour Howling and Funiba Abongnelah were [...]
Each year, state and federal governments – along with grassroots activists and non-profits – look for ways to reduce the number of drunk drivers on the roads. They do this legislation, through tougher laws for DUI offenses, by setting up check stops, and more. The latest effort is a new piece of vehicle technology: alcohol detection sensors. The government is working on legislation that will require alcohol detection sensors in every new vehicle. These sensors [...]
Certain criminal convictions require individuals to be placed on lists, due to their crimes being considered a threat to the general public. For example, the United States has “no-fly” lists for anyone who has raised concerns of being potentially tied to terrorism. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) maintains a list of the ten most wanted fugitives. Even many stores and restaurants typically have a list of people who pass bad checks hanging behind the [...]
It is no secret that the United States has a prison problem. Prisons far too full, and the government spends no small amount of money housing prisoners. Thanks to the failed “War on Drugs,” there are people serving sentences of ten, twenty, even up to thirty years in prison for non-violent crimes. For many, these long sentences are the result of prior arrests and convictions (mandatory sentencing for the so-called “three strikes” rules; others for [...]
