Touch Your Nose and Point Your Toes: The Problem with Field Sobriety Tests
Letâs say that youâve never been pulled over for a DUI, but youâve seen it happen on TV, in film, and in ads. Goes something like this, right? Driver drives erratically. Cops pulls him over. Cop knocks on window. Cop asks driver to exit vehicle. Driver stumbles out. Driver then performs a series of awkward…
Read MoreGlobal Effort to Bring Down Organized Crime? Thereâs an App for That
If youâre a regular reader of this blog, you know how much I love a good cop procedural, and movies about criminal shenanigans. Iâm especially fond of The Sting, because you canât put Redford, Newman, and Shaw in a movie and NOT have it be wonderful. So in case you were wondering, heck yeah Iâm…
Read MoreFrequently Asked Questions about DUI/DWI Charges in Annapolis
Summer is here, folks, and so my work begins. Statistically, summer months always see an increase of certain types of crimes (heat makes people nuts, you know?) and injuries, which is why a lot of my colleagues call this the 100 Days of Hell. For me, itâs not the heat that drives my business, but…
Read MoreCrime Doesnât Pay. Apparently, Neither Does Annapolis PD
As a criminal defense lawyer, I spend a lot of time arguing with cops. It comes with the job. People think weâre on opposite sides of the law, but thatâs not really true. Weâre both supposed to be upholding the laws, even if we do it in different ways. So when police officers suddenly find…
Read MoreDonât Be a (Super) Hero. Itâll Land You in Prison.
Whether youâre into DC or Marvel, movies or comics, we can all agree on one basic idea: superheroes are awesome. Itâs a fun fantasy, the idea of some super-powered, ultra-moral person above the agendas and borders of modern law and society, saving people and defeating evil. Usually thereâs spandex involved. No oneâs allowed to question…
Read MoreEx-Cons May Be Able to Serve on Juries Soon, Making Them as Miserable as Everyone Else
The right to a fair trial with a jury of your peers has been upheld in this country for centuries. Almost every citizen over 18 in the country has been summoned to jury duty at some point in their lives, even if they get dismissed for whatever reason before they enter the court. That being…
Read MoreNew Rules about Probation and Parole Violations
There are a handful of ways you can get out of prison: you can serve your time in full, you can receive a full pardon, or you can get out early on parole. In some cases, however, a judge might suspend your sentence and put you on probation instead. On October 1, 2016, the Justice Reinvestment…
Read MoreUnknown Warrants Warrant Concern
In the movies, someone having a warrant out for their arrest usually means some sort of high-speed chase is coming up, or maybe a SWAT team is en route to âhave you surrounded.â Itâs a very dramatic ordeal. Fast-paced, stressful, and life-ruining, itâs no wonder most people live in fear of receiving one for whatever…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Vaccinations: How Maryland Prisons Deal
Itâs been a very, very long year. We have all gone through unimaginable hardship thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the vaccines only now becoming fully accessible, we are finally starting to recover. Yes, COVID is still here. You still need to be responsible and take all precautions. But the statewide positivity rate is…
Read MoreUnderaged Drinking Laws in Maryland
The United States of America is known for many things, and amongst those many things are our relatively strict drinking laws. Most other countries allow minors to consume alcohol as young as 16 with family and 18 on their own, whereas here in the states â as you know â itâs unanimously 21. That being…
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