Criminal Defense

Fear and anxiety are natural responses to pending criminal charges. When the police arrest you, you may feel powerless. Even if you know that you are innocent, their claim to have evidence against you and make you feel like you need to plead guilty. No one wants a...

Many people lost jobs in 2020 and are still seeking ways to replace that income. So, when they receive an unsolicited email offering them a few hundred dollars to perform a few simple banking tasks, they are eager to jump on the offers. Others may establish online...

The terms "murder" and "manslaughter" get thrown around almost interchangeably -- but they're far from the same thing, legally. If you've been charged with either murder or manslaughter, knowing what distinguishes the two is key to building a defense strategy in your...

You may have heard before that it’s smart to tell your attorney everything you know when you’re charged with a crime. You might know that there is such a thing as attorney-client confidentiality, which is meant to preserve your privacy when you speak with your...

The "Me Too" movement emerged in recent years here in the United States. It motivated many women who alleged sexual assault to step forward and tell their stories of hurt and shame. Since then, there's been an increasing focus in the media on the concept of consent. ...

Things happen, and a disagreement or situation can spiral out of control. Emotions may run so high that violence occurs. Tragic circumstances may ensue, and someone may end up dead. Even though you didn't intend for their death, the next thing you know you're facing...

If you kill or injure another person in the state of Virginia, the police might not charge you with a crime if you can prove that you acted in self-defense. However, this defense might not apply in every situation. It's also important to note that Virginia has two...

Data published by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shows that the federal government received at least 28,900 reports of on-campus crimes in 2017. That number marked a 2% increase over the prior year.  The federal government has long tracked crimes...

The 1968 Gun Control Act is a federal law that permanently bars felons from possessing firearms. Virginia Code 18.2-308.2, which lawmakers updated earlier this year, further clarifies the state's position on an individual's possession of firearms as well as certain...

Mandatory minimum sentences have long been controversial, particularly in reference to drug crimes. A legacy of the “get tough on crime” directives of the 1980s-90s, mandatory minimums take the power to adjudicate a just and reasonable sentence completely out of the...