Criminal Defense

The fruit of the poisonous tree is a legal concept referring to how evidence needs to be gathered. If this is done incorrectly, that evidence can then become “poisoned.” This may mean that it cannot be used in court. For example, say that police officers do not have a...

We all think we know how we would react in a life-threatening situation. Out of the three - fight, flight or freeze, we tend to believe we would fight with deadly force. However, we need to understand the laws that govern our right to self-defense. Otherwise, we might...

News stories about young people who have died as the result of hazing incidents in college – most of them young men – have seemingly become more common in recent years. Some have been here in Virginia. Many states, including ours, have enacted hazing laws to try to...

Teenagers tend to like pushing the boundaries. It’s natural for adolescents to go out with friends and have a laugh. Nonetheless, the line between fun acts and unlawful acts can be quite thin sometimes.  Countless teenagers have found themselves facing charges due to...

Thefts from retailers of all types and sizes have gotten out of control throughout the country – including here in Virginia. They’ve gone far beyond “shoplifting” and become organized, brazen and sometimes violent – as well as highly costly.  Often, they involve large...

The consequences of a criminal conviction in Virginia can be life-altering not just because of a criminal sentence handed down by the courts but also because of the criminal record that a conviction or guilty plea inspires. The state will report the record of...

When the police are investigating you for a crime, they will search for evidence to use against you in court. Armed with a warrant, they can comb through every corner of your property in search of anything incriminating. Without a warrant, they can’t intrude at all....

Did you know that 98% of criminal cases in federal courts are resolved through plea deals? It means you will likely get an offer to settle  your criminal charges outside of trial. The decision to accept or reject the deal is yours, so it helps to have a good...

When people are initially questioned by police, either in their cars or elsewhere, it’s often their first instinct to lie. These lies might be relatively minor, like “No, I haven’t had anything to drink at all today” to extremely serious, like “My roommate was with me...

You may face more than a criminal conviction if you're caught shoplifting. You could also lose your college scholarship.  Here's what you need to know about how a shoplifting conviction can affect your financial aid. It depends on the source of the financial aid For...