Posted on July 02, 2020 in Criminal Defense

Some of the most important protections for people accused of crimes can be found under the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Part of the Bill of Rights, the Sixth Amendment is the cornerstone of criminal defense in our criminal justice system.

The Sixth Amendment guarantees people charged with crimes the right to a trial by jury, in most circumstances. Over the years, courts have interpreted the amendment many times, and found that this right to a trial also conveys other rights, including the defendant’s right to see all the evidence used in the case against them, to see, hear and have the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses against them, the opportunity to call their own witnesses and more.

The Sixth Amendment works together with other provisions under the Bill of Rights. For instance, the Sixth Amendment provides a defendant with the opportunity to testify at their trial, but the Fifth Amendment protects defendants from being compelled to testify against themselves. Therefore, the Sixth Amendment also provides the defendant the right to decline to testify at their own trial. Many defendants decline to testify when they know that doing so puts them at a high risk of divulging self-incriminating information.

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 Posted on June 25, 2020 in DUI & DWI

In Maryland, people who are arrested for drunk driving will face potentially serious penalties If those charges are accompanied by other allegations such as child abuse, driving drunk with a child in the vehicle, traffic offenses and more, the situation can escalate significantly. People confronted by these issues may face an extended jail sentence, fines and other penalties that will continue to impact them for a long time, maybe even the rest of their lives. Understanding how to craft a strong criminal defense is imperative in these circumstances.

A 24-year-old woman is confronted with a slew of charges related to driving under the influence of alcohol, having a child in the vehicle at the time, abusing a child and traffic offenses. Law enforcement was called at shortly after 1 a.m. The woman was sitting in a vehicle stopped on the roadside. She had a young child in her arms and refused officers’ requests to exit the vehicle. She was slurring her words and the officers smelled alcohol. She had thrown up on herself. When she exited the vehicle, a neighbor took the child and she started yelling.

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 Posted on June 12, 2020 in DUI & DWI

It has happened to a lot of motorists in Maryland. They look in their rearview mirror only to see flashing blue and red lights. Their heart skips a beat, they stop, and they’re approached by an officer who subsequently accuses them of drunk driving. The ramification can be significant, too. A drunk driving conviction can lead to serious penalties, which may include jail time, fines, license suspension or revocation, and damage to your reputation.

If you find yourself facing DUI or DWI charges, then you’re probably wondering how best to approach your case. Some people are eager to accept a plea deal that imposes lesser penalties, but that might not be right for you. This is especially true if you didn’t provide a breath test at any point during your arrest. In these circumstances, the prosecution doesn’t have a blood alcohol content analysis on which to rely, so they must turn to observations of a motorist’s driving and behavior during field sobriety tests.

There are multiple field sobriety tests that are regularly used in Maryland, with the horizontal gaze nystagmus being one of them. This test requires you to follow an object, usually a pen or a finger, with your eyes and without turning your head as it is moved from side-to-side. The officer conducting the test will then look for certain indicators of intoxication, which may include a failure to follow instructions, jerking eye movements at certain points, and a lack of smooth pursuit as the object moves.

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