A charge is an allegation — one account of what happened, assembled by the investigating authority, and not yet tested. The period between an arrest and a disposition exists so that it can be.
Consultations are by appointment. Please do not send detailed case information through this website.
Criminal matters in five jurisdictions and in United States District Court, from investigation through disposition and record relief.
Possession, possession with intent, distribution, manufacturing, prescription-medication offenses and conspiracy allegations — cases that turn on the lawfulness of a search or stop and on how a substance was identified and weighed.
Assault and battery, malicious wounding, robbery, abduction, strangulation, homicide and manslaughter. Investigative work: what the physical evidence supports and what witnesses actually said, and when.
The criminal charge and the civil protective order run on separate tracks, on separate timelines, with different standards of proof — and what happens in one can affect the other.
Sexual assault, abuse, solicitation, offenses involving minors, electronic-communication offenses and registry matters. Defense centers on forensic and digital evidence and how statements were obtained.
Larceny, shoplifting, burglary, trespass, embezzlement, forgery, identity theft and financial fraud. Intent is usually the contested element; financial cases are document cases first.
Unlawful possession, possession after a disqualifying conviction, concealed-carry allegations. The five jurisdictions regulate firearms very differently; conduct lawful in one may not be in the next.
Drug conspiracy, wire and mail fraud, financial and firearms offenses in U.S. District Court. Appearance requires admission to that court's bar — a question to ask at the outset, and one we answer directly.
First and subsequent offenses, refusal matters, drug-related impairment and underage charges. The administrative licence proceeding is separate — and its deadline is frequently the shorter of the two.
Disorderly conduct, obstruction, resisting and trespass — charges often treated as minor, and often not, given how a conviction reads on a background check.
The charging age, the court, confidentiality rules, dispositional options and transfer to adult court all differ across the five jurisdictions — and several have changed in recent years.
Expungement, sealing and set-aside proceedings where the jurisdiction, the offense, the disposition and the elapsed time make relief available.
Charged, arrested, or contacted by investigators? Deadlines are already running.
Call (888) 437-7747Contact from law enforcement, a search, or a grand jury subpoena can precede any charge. What is said in this period is frequently the most consequential evidence in the eventual case.
The charge is stated and the question of release is addressed — by bond, by conditions, or by detention.
Depending on the jurisdiction and the charge, a preliminary hearing tests probable cause — or a grand jury does.
The defense obtains the government's evidence. What must be disclosed, and when, differs substantially between jurisdictions and between state and federal court.
Suppression of evidence obtained in violation of a constitutional protection, challenges to the charging instrument, and evidentiary motions litigated before trial.
A case ends by dismissal, by negotiated disposition, by diversion or a deferred arrangement where available, or by trial to a judge or jury.
Sentencing has its own evidentiary record. Appeal and post-conviction proceedings follow their own deadlines, which can be short.
Misdemeanors in the general district courts; felonies certified to the circuit courts, where jury trial is available. An appeal from general district court is heard as a new trial.
The district courts handle misdemeanors and preliminary matters; the circuit courts handle felonies and jury trials.
Criminal matters are heard in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Indictable offenses in the Superior Court, Law Division, Criminal Part; disorderly persons offenses in municipal court.
Local criminal courts and, for felonies, the superior courts, with structures differing between New York City and the rest of the state.
Federal matters are heard in United States District Court, subject to a separate admission requirement. Individual attorneys are admitted in specific jurisdictions; not all attorneys are licensed in all states.
Assignment depends on where the case is pending and what is charged, because each attorney is admitted in specific jurisdictions.
The following is general information. It is not legal advice and does not address the circumstances of any particular case.
State charges arise under the law of a particular state and are prosecuted by state or local prosecutors in state courts. Federal charges arise under federal law, are investigated by federal agencies, and are prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys in United States District Court. The two systems have different procedural rules, different sentencing frameworks and different discovery practices. The same conduct can sometimes be charged in either system.
No. Admission to the bar of a particular United States District Court is separate from admission to a state bar, and each district sets its own requirements. An attorney admitted in a state is not thereby admitted in the federal district courts sitting in that state. Whether a given attorney can appear in a given district is a question to ask directly.
It is a different posture, and often an important one. A person can be a subject or a target of an investigation long before any charge is filed, and decisions made during that period can shape whether a charge is filed at all. Statements given without counsel present cannot be taken back.
A misdemeanor conviction can carry jail exposure, fines, probation and a permanent criminal record that reaches employment, housing and professional licensing. The label is less serious than a felony; the collateral consequences frequently are not.
A warrant is a court order and obstructing its execution is itself an offense. Consent is a separate question from compliance, and the two are often confused. What was said, what was consented to, and what the warrant actually authorized can all become issues later, so an accurate record of what happened matters.
Sometimes. Where a search, a seizure, a stop or a statement was obtained in violation of a constitutional protection, a court may suppress the resulting evidence. Whether suppression is available depends on the facts and on the law of the jurisdiction, and suppression of some evidence does not necessarily end a case. Results may vary.
Some records can be expunged, sealed or set aside, and some cannot. Eligibility depends on the jurisdiction, the offense, the disposition and how much time has passed. Whether relief is available in a given case is a question that can be assessed on its facts.
Assignment depends on the jurisdiction and the charge, because each attorney is admitted in specific jurisdictions, and it is confirmed as part of the written engagement. Fees vary with the charge, the court, whether the matter is state or federal, and whether it proceeds to trial. Fee arrangements are set out in the written engagement agreement.
If you have been charged, arrested, or contacted by investigators in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey or New York, deadlines are already running.
Consultations are by appointment. Please do not send detailed case information through this website.
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