Chevy Chase, MD Criminal Defense Attorney

Experienced Criminal Defense Lawyer Serving Clients in Chevy Chase, MD

Being charged with a crime can shake up every part of your life. The moment you are arrested, things can change. Many people are fired from their jobs after an arrest, especially if the charges are very serious. Landlords may refuse to renew a lease if they suspect that their tenant will be going to jail. You may face social stigma. If you stand accused of driving drunk, your friends may no longer want you to come to the bar with them. If you are accused of hitting your girlfriend, your female friends may no longer feel safe around you.

A solid criminal defense could undo these negative effects. If the case against you is dismissed or you are found not guilty at trial, you can usually have the entire case expunged. When a case is expunged, it will not appear on a background check or the court's website, so it is essentially like the charge never happened. In cases where dismissal or acquittal are not possible, we are sometimes able to have charges reduced or convince the court to order probation instead of jail time. Diamant Gerstein, LLC will carefully review every bit of evidence in your case to create the best possible defense strategy.

Effective Defenses to DUI Charges

A few of the most common defense strategies in DUI cases include:

• Excluding the results of chemical tests - Chemical tests are only accurate if they are administered properly and under carefully controlled circumstances.
• Challenging the constitutionality of the traffic stop - The police officer who pulled you over must have had reasonable suspicion that you were breaking the law. If his decision to pull you over was not based on facts, any evidence stemming from the stop can likely be dismissed.
• Excluding field sobriety test results - Field sobriety tests can be extremely unreliable. Anything from strong winds to the defendant's choice of shoes that day can impact the results.

These and other defenses can be used whether this is your first DUI or a repeat DUI.

How to Defend an Assault or Domestic Violence Case

When a fight breaks out in a bar, or a cohabiting couple gets into an argument that turns violent, it can be incredibly difficult for police to tell the difference between the victim and the primary aggressor. This means that sometimes, the wrong person gets arrested. Sometimes, one person gets arrested based on the other party's accusations when no crime was committed.

There are a number of defense strategies an attorney can use in an assault case, including:

• Self-defense - If the alleged victim was actually the assailant, you may be able to prove a self-defense claim with the help of your attorney. In Maryland, you have the right to use reasonable force to protect yourself against a physical attack.
• Defense of others - If you were protecting someone else who the alleged victim was trying to harm, you may have this defense.
• Provocation - While being provoked by the alleged victim is not a complete defense, your charges might be reduced or you might be sentenced more gently if the victim took actions that would have caused a reasonable person to inflict violence on him or her.
• Mutual combat - Two people can agree to fight. If you were arrested following a consensual fight, you might have this defense.

There is also the possibility of showing that you are completely innocent. Police sometimes arrest people based on false accusations. If the assault you were charged with never happened, your attorney might be able to gather enough evidence to cast reasonable doubt on your guilt and get you acquitted at trial. This is especially common in domestic violence cases.

Contact a Chevy Chase, MD Criminal Defense Lawyer

Diamant Gerstein, LLC provides smart and strategic defenses to criminal charges. Our dedicated Chevy Chase, MD criminal defense lawyers answer phone calls personally, so you can always reach your lawyer when you have a concern. Contact us at 301-560-2685 for a confidential consultation.