Maryland Criminal Cases & Court Cases
If you are facing criminal charges in MD or Washington, DC state or federal courts, then the attorneys at Houlon, Berman, Finci & Levenstein can help you understand the charges you face and the best strategy for defending and protecting yourself.
If you find yourself facing criminal charges, you need to retain experienced legal counsel immediately. Criminal charges often carry severe penalties, and only experienced, seasoned criminal defense attorneys can assure the protection of your Constitutional rights.
Types of Criminal Cases
Explore the information below to learn more about different types of criminal cases.
Drunk Driving and Traffic Offenses
All states and the District of Columbia have laws that criminalize and prohibit the operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. While each state’s laws may differ slightly as to criteria for driving under the influence (DUI) crimes, no state takes these criminal court cases lightly.
In MD court cases, a conviction for crimes such as DUI or drunk driving can potentially mean large fines, higher insurance rates, incarceration, suspension of your driving privileges and other punishments and consequences that can impact your life for years.
Felonies
Felonies are criminal charges designated as such by Maryland law and those punishable by more than one year in prison under Federal law and the law of the District of Columbia. The penalties for violating a felony are often far more severe, and may include large fines and restrictions of your rights and freedoms for the rest of your life.
An experienced Criminal defense lawyer will aggressively defend you and protect you from these serious charges and harsh penalties.
Violent Crime
Violent crimes are criminal offenses in which the perpetrator allegedly used or threatened to use violence or physical force on their victims. Since violent crimes place innocent people in direct threat of harm, authorities deal with such crimes far more harshly than offenses with no violent element.
Some common examples of violent crimes include:
- Armed robbery
- Assault or battery
- Kidnapping
- Murder
- Carjacking
- Sexual offenses
- Domestic abuse cases
- Burglary
These crimes often fall under the category of felonies.
Drug Offenses
Drug offenses may range from simple possession of controlled substance (a misdemeanor) to selling large amounts of such substances, but no drug crime in the United States should be considered trivial. Convictions in drug-related MD court cases often lead to:
- Large fines
- Jail time
- Suspension of driving privileges
- Permanent criminal record
- Loss of professional licenses
- Seizure of money, automobiles or real estate
The severity of such penalties depends a great deal on the amount of drugs involved, the kind of activity engaged in, and the area in which the crime is alleged to have occurred as well as your prior criminal history.
Juvenile Cases
Juvenile criminal charges can have a tremendous impact on the future life of a child, damaging his or her educational and career opportunities. Children found involved in crimes can also be placed into state custody under certain circumstances until age 21.
Contact Our Lawyers
The lawyers at Houlon, Berman, Finci & Levenstein are proud to hold a Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review RatingsTM certification of AV®. We can assist with criminal defense cases in Maryland, including Potomac, Bethesda, Rockville, Silver Spring, Greenbelt, College Park, Hyattsville, Upper Marlboro and the District of Columbia.
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