Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney
Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney
Domestic violence is a serious issue in West Virginia. For this reason, the law empowers judges to impose protective orders on someone accused -- but not convicted -- of domestic assault, or of making threats.Commonly known as restraining orders, protective orders...
In a potentially very important ruling for the obligations of prosecutors in West Virginia to disclose evidence, the state Supreme Court ruled that the fact that a man's due process rights were violated when the prosecution negotiated a plea bargain with him, knowing...
In criminal law, it is not always necessary to actually complete a crime in order to face prosecution. Being part of a conspiracy to break the law, or even a failed attempt to do so, exposes the accused to incarceration, fines and so on, just as if the crime had...
The main text of the U.S. Constitution mostly sets out how power is divided between the three branches of the federal government. That leaves the Bill of Rights to guarantee many of our most important individual rights.When it comes to your rights in the criminal...
The rulebook governing whether a piece of evidence should be admitted into a criminal trial is long and complex. Judges are supposed to follow those rules closely, but ultimately it often comes down to a judgment call. These decisions can dramatically affect the...
Readers are likely aware that there is more support in West Virginia Legislature to allow medical marijuana than perhaps there has ever been. During the previous session, a bill sponsored by the state Senate Majority lead had bipartisan support, but failed to pass...
There are many people in West Virginia who think that they could never be arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving. It is natural to believe that you are somehow immune from attention from police attention on the road, until the night you see the red and blue...
Let’s say you suffered from back pain several months ago, but you have since recovered. To manage the pain, your doctor prescribed painkillers, and you have a few pills left over that you never needed.One day, your neighbor slips and falls on some ice in front...
In our last post, we discussed how heavy of a sentence probation can be. Though a person on probation has more freedom than those behind bars, this form of criminal sentence can impose a heavy, expensive burden, and result in the defendant being sent to jail anyway,...
Some people believe that probation is a “slap on the wrist” and insufficient punishment for breaking the law in all cases. And indeed, being sentenced to probation, or agreeing to probation as part of a plea bargain, is preferable to jail or prison for...
