Protecting Your Rights. Criminal Defense Attorney

In Virginia, a felony is any crime punishable by a possible sentence of one year or more in state prison.  There are many kinds of felonies, such as murder, robbery, rape, grand larceny (stealing) and many more. These are serious crimes and some are so serious the defendant may be kept locked up in jail before trial.  A preliminary hearing may be available before trial to learn what the evidence is that the police arrested you on.  But if the case starts with a felony indictment (charge) in Circuit Court, then there is no preliminary hearing and your lawyer must know how to obtain discovery (the process of learning about the police evidence) and review this evidence with you so you know why you were arrested. If the felony case starts in Circuit Court it is usually fast tracked to an arraignment hearing (advise you of the charges) and then set for a trial or plea.  Depending on your jurisdiction (the particular county where your court is located) things can move fast or slow. Your lawyer should understand the strategic differences between getting evidence information at a preliminary hearing versus obtaining it through a discovery motion.  Some prosecutor offices have very specific procedures to follow in obtaining information about your case and failure to follow these could mean being surprised at trial.  Make sure your lawyer knows the specific county your court is in and understands the unique procedures that apply to that county. Our firm travels across the Commonwealth and maintains contact with many prosecutor offices and courts so we know of any changes in procedure.

Trial lawyers, like our firm, must know both substantive law (what the criminal law is) and procedural law (how to present and properly argue things in court). Not knowing procedural law could mean you want to make an argument or fight certain evidence but you do not know the proper way to do it. This is why representing yourself in court is not a good idea. While you may have a good argument and lots of evidence to support your innocence, not knowing the court (procedural ) rules could mean you fail to get your evidence admitted. Lawyers who do desk work and do not regularly appear in court for trials may not be your best choice for trial work. Criminal law involves complex trial work and you need a champion with experience fighting for you.  Our firm has been protecting and defending clients for decades and have handled hundreds of jury and nonjury trials across Virginia. We know what works and what doesn't.  As former police we know if the evidence is strong or weak, and where to look for common police problems.

Not every case should  go to trial, as you may risk more at trial than you may get in a plea. These are serious discussions with your lawyer. Make sure you hire a firm that has a lot of experience, like ours, and can provide strategic legal advice on whether to risk a trial or take a plea. We work criminal cases every day across Virginia. It's what we do-- it's all we do. We don't pretend to be experts in other areas of law like personal injury, divorce, family, or real estate law. As former police, we focus on just one area that we know real well-- criminal law exclusively. We research it, track changes in it, teach other lawyers and police, and appear in court every week fighting for folks who have trusted us with their case. 

WARNING

 Our many past successes are no guarantee of future results. Each case is different. We are selective and do not take every case.  Our retainer applications expire after 48 hours, so we can free up those court dates for others who wish to retain immediately.  We regret we cannot help all who contact us but must limit our intake to those who appreciate our premium service.

DO NOT TALK TO THE POLICE

Do not talk to the police about your case--even if they are investigating and you have not been arrested (yet).  If the police want to talk to you, bring your lawyer who has one  job--to protect your legal rights.  If the police argue wiht you and do not want your lawyer there, think about that. Why do you think they want your protector not be present? What is it that they don't want your lawyer to hear? Remain silent and ask to have your lawyer present. for a lawyer. Do not attend any police interviews without your lawyer. Do not fall for any threats or feel coerced into talking without your lawyer present. Whatever it is can wait until your lawyer can attend. Remember that you may be facing criminal charges and you may talk yourself into more trouble without your lawyer there. Do not do it.

Delay in hiring a an experienced criminal lawyer may reduce your legal options and may damage your case. What you do before we get there may be beyond legal repair. That's why we tell you not to talk to anyne about your case, especially the police, until you first talk to us. Everything you tell  us is confidential. To best protect your rights and preserve your legal options, we may need to act now before your legal situation from gets worse.