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For most families, the detention hearing is the first time the federal system becomes real. Someone was arrested a day or two ago, nobody has explained what happens next, and the question everyone is asking is simply whether he or she is coming home. The answer depends on a hearing that is often more narrow,…

Two people can be arrested with the same amount of the same substance and face very different charges. One is charged with possession. The other is charged with possession with intent to distribute, which in Maryland can be a felony carrying up to twenty years. The substance did not change. What changed is what the…

A DUI arrest in Maryland often starts two separate cases, not one. The criminal case goes to the District Court and moves on the court’s schedule, which usually means weeks. The other case is administrative, it belongs to the Motor Vehicle Administration, and it is already running before anyone leaves the police station. The administrative…

Most federal charges give a judge wide discretion to craft a fair sentence. Section 924(c) carries something different. It carries a mandatory minimum that a judge cannot go below, cannot suspend, and cannot run at the same time as anything else. That last part is what makes it matter. A 924(c) count does not compete…

A local arrest does not always stay local. In Maryland, conduct involving a firearm, controlled substances, fraud, or interstate activity may violate both state and federal law. Which system handles the case can change the court, the procedure, the sentencing rules, and the decisions that must be made early. The difference is not simply that…

A call or knock from an FBI, ATF, DEA, or Homeland Security Investigations agent can make anyone want to explain immediately. That instinct is understandable. It can also create avoidable problems when you do not yet know why the agent is contacting you or how the government views your role. This article explains general legal…

The core purpose of the Bill of Rights was to secure vital safeguards against excessive governmental action in situations where the government aims to accuse, try, and frequently imprison ordinary individuals for purported crimes. Understanding your constitutional rights, particularly the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments, is crucial because they are your primary defenses against…

Probation is often seen as a second chance: a way to avoid jail time while demonstrating that you are capable of making positive changes. But navigating the terms of probation is not always straightforward, and an allegation of violation, even one stemming from a misunderstanding or circumstances beyond your control, can put everything at risk.…

Ghost guns come up regularly in the cases I handle in Baltimore. Partly because they have attracted significant attention from law enforcement and prosecutors in recent years, and partly because the laws governing them are genuinely confusing to many people. I want to talk about what these charges actually look like from the defense side:…

Being arrested in Baltimore is disorienting and frightening. In the hours immediately following an arrest, many people make decisions that significantly affect how their case unfolds. Some of those decisions are instinctive and understandable. Most of them are mistakes. What you do, and what you avoid doing, in the time between arrest and your first…