The Court of Appeals in an opinion issued in FREY v. U.S., compared and analyzed the legal difference between unlawful entry upon a “private” property versus a “public” property. In reversing the defendant’s conviction for unlawful entry on May 5, 2016 – the Court held that she had entered a public section of the Library of Congress and thus was entitled to a jury trial warranting reversal. The District of Columbia unlawful entry statute makes a legal distinction between entry upon a private v. public property. Specifically, subsection (a) of the code prohibits unlawful entry into “any private dwelling, building, or
Read More
Archives for dc criminal defense lawyer
DC ASSAULT LAWS/PENALTIES: DC CRIMINAL LAWYER
This blog outlines and analyzes the statutory language of the three main DC assault provisions: simple assault, aggravated assault and assault on a police officer. The simple assault statute includes both elements and penalties for assault and stalking as they are consolidated under the same statutory language specifically that a person commits a misdemeanor assault punishable by not more than 180 days imprisonment and/or a $1000.00 fine — if he/she unlawfully assaults or threatens another in a menacing fashion. The felony assault which raises the penalties to 3 years and/or $3000.00 in fines has all the elements of the simple
Read More
RECENT COURT OF APPEALS DECISION: REVERSAL OF BURGLARY CHARGE
The Court of Appeals in SYDNOR v. UNITED STATES decided on January 14, 2016, reversed the lower court’s burglary conviction and issued an order for the trial court to enter a judgment for unlawful entry instead. The evidence revealed that the appellant had entered a fenced construction site and had removed steal pipes from the yard. The burglary statute in part states: “whoever shall, either in the night or in the daytime, break and enter, or enter without breaking, . . . any yard where any lumber, coal, or other goods or chattels are deposited and kept for the purpose
Read More
DC CRIMINAL LAWYER: DISCLOSURE OF JENCKS/DISCOVERY
In Hernandez v. U.S. decided on January 14, 2016, the DC Court of Appeals affirmed the assault charge but remanded for further review by the trial court on the issue of non-disclosure of the Jencks material and whether a new trial would be warranted. Factually, Hernandez was charged with domestic violence assault against his girlfriend. Although she had technically denied the assault, due to some language barriers and other significant independent evidence — the trial court’s findings were affirmed on that issue alone. Specifically, an independent witness had seen the defendant choke Ms. Argueta-Avila/the complainant and then saw her fall
Read More
RECENT COURT OF APPEALS DECISION: ATTEMPTED THREATS REVERSAL
In Milton v. U.S., decided by the DC Court of Appeals on December 24, 2015, the Court reversed Milton’s conviction for attempted threats against the arresting police officer. Officers had responded to an unlawful entry call on July 5, 2015, and Milton having been identified as one of the culprits was placed under arrest, but while on the curbside and cuffed, uttered to one of the arresting officers that “take that gun and badge off and I’ll fuck you up,” and moreover, that “too bad it’s not like the old days where fucking up an officer is a misdemeanor.” These
Read More
COURT OF APPEALS DECISION: REVERSING DRUG POSSESSION CONVICTION: DC DRUG LAWYER
In OLUSHOLA AKINMBONI V. UNITED STATES, decided on November 19, 2015, the Court of Appeals reversed the defendant’s conviction for possession of marijuana, BZP, and drug paraphernalia holding that the cellblock cavity search of the defendant was constitutionally impermissible. Here the defendant was pulled over during a valid traffic stop, and marijuana was observed in plain view and the arrest made. The next day at the courthouse cellblock, the defendant was searched again and during that search the US Marshall had observed plastic bags partially protruding from the defendant’s cavity. Defendant was ordered to remove the items (several bags) and
Read More
REVERSING CONFESSION — DC CRIMINAL LAWYER
In Little v. U.S., decided on November 12, 2015, the issue was the constitutionality of the confession, which lead to conviction at trial with little or no collaborating independent evidence. Little was picked up on an abscondence warrant and suspected of being involved in an attempted car robbery and was ushered to the interrogating room. Mr. Little’s cell phone was found inside the car, and although he vehemently denied involvement initially – eventually after several hours of interrogation confessed to the crime. The issue on appeal was the voluntariness of the confession in light of the highly unconventional and aggressive
Read More
Justice Department v. Apple Computer: IPHONE SEARCH AND SEIZURE
In an ongoing criminal investigation, the Justice Department in the Eastern District of NY, on October 9, 2015, requested an order pursuant to all Writs Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1651, to compel Apple to “disabl[e] the security of an Apple device that the government has lawfully seized pursuant to a warrant.” This case has brought to the forefront once again the balancing act between the need from the law enforcement to decode encrypted devices (the going dark problem), prevailing privacy issues, and the lack of Congressional authority to compel third party private manufacturers to cooperate with the government or to
Read More
DC ASSAULT LAWYER – — SELF DEFENSE NOT VIABLE
The Court of Appeals in Travers v. U.S., issued on October 8, 2015, revered multiple felony assaultive convictions because the defendant was restricted at trial to fully either testify or to elicit testimony to bolster his self-defense theory. Travers was convicted of assaulting his sister Bethel during a domestic dispute where the complaining witness, his sister had directed her boyfriend/Scott to “get him”, Travers that is. Travers alleged that in self-defense he had used a golf club to swing at the boyfriend and had accidentally hit his sister, the complaining witness. Travers argued that the court erred by precluding him
Read More
DC ASSAULT; RELEVANT STATUTE AND RECENT CASE LAW
The Court of Appeals in IN RE D.P., APPELLANT, decided on August 13, 2015, reversed D.P.’s conviction for aggravated assault and felonious assault (assault with significant bodily injury). The charges stemmed from an assault by a group of three teenagers on a metro bus on M.G., another student. Thus the government charged M.P., I.C. and D.P. with aggravated assault and assault with significant bodily injury. M.P. pled out to simple assault, the case against I.C. was dropped and D.P. proceeded to trial and was convicted on the two counts. Before the Court reversed D.P.’s convictions, the Court outlined the three
Read More