Tag Archives: Virginia Criminal Defense Attorneys
Can My Lawyer Help Me Get Away With It? Two Common Misconceptions About Criminal Defense Lawyers
We have all seen the movies and television shows that feature brilliant legal minds defending the most ruthless criminals, often while knowing their clients are guilty. Over many years, the public has developed a certain distrust of lawyers and many feel their attorneys are there to make sure they “get away” with their crimes…. Read More »
Setting Reasonable Expectations for Success When Defending Against Criminal Charges
Plenty of perfectly innocent people have been charged, tried and convicted of crimes in America. This underscores just how important it is to hire the very best criminal defense team available. Your freedom is worth it. A national organization devoted to ensuring innocent people are not punished for crimes they did not commit, simply… Read More »
Virginia Man Sentenced to Five Years in Cigarette Trafficking Case
Yinhau (Steven) Chen of Fredericksburg was sentenced to five years in a federal cigarette trafficking case on December 22. He pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money-laundering in connection with a scheme in which he supplied interstate smugglers with large quantities of cigarettes at lower taxed Virginia prices. The smugglers then took the cigarettes… Read More »
Virginia State Crime Commission Rejects Asset Forfeiture Reform
In the second major blow to criminal justice reform in Virginia recently, the state’s Crime Commission has voted to reject proposed legislation that would require the government to first obtain a conviction or a guilty plea before subjecting the property of the criminal defendants to civil asset forfeiture. The Crime Commission is a part… Read More »
Public Defender Alleges Unethical Police Conduct
A public defender in Petersburg, Virginia is alleging police misconduct in proceedings to withdraw his client’s guilty plea. Jeffrey Fisher pled guilty to drug and gun charges earlier this year after being arrested during a raid of his home. Later, numerous disturbing facts about the case came to light that had been concealed by… Read More »
Virginia Supreme Court Rejects Criminal Discovery Reform
The Virginia Supreme Court recently rejected a major criminal discovery reform proposal that would have provided criminal defendants with much needed procedural protections. The following explains the legal context of this decision and what it may mean for you if you are accused of a crime. The National Epidemic According to the landmark case… Read More »
Virginia Larceny Case Shines Light on Immigration Issues
In February of this year, the Virginia Supreme Court reversed the conviction of an Ethiopian immigrant who has been in the United States since the age of nine. Michael Zemene, whose father obtained asylum in the United States as a political dissident in his home country, became a lawful permanent resident (LPR, more commonly… Read More »
