What You Should Know About Criminal Charges for Marijuana Possession in Birmingham, AL

While marijuana laws have loosened in many parts of the country, Alabama still treats possession as a serious criminal offense. Under state law, a conviction can potentially lead to time in jail on top of fines and other consequences. If you are facing charges in Birmingham, learning about what the law says and what options […]

Read more

What I’m Looking for When I Review the Evidence Against My Client

One of the first things clients want after hiring me is the discovery. Sometimes they expect that because they hired a lawyer today, I should have all of the evidence in the case tomorrow. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. What we receive and when we receive it can vary considerably depending on where the […]

Read more

What To Do and Not To Do During a DUI Stop in Alabama

If police pull you over for suspected DUI in Alabama, what you say and do during the stop may later be used as evidence. An officer may ask about alcohol consumption, request field sobriety tests, search for evidence, or ask you to take a breath test. Drivers have legal obligations during a traffic stop, but […]

Read more

Understanding the Federal Criminal Investigation Process in Birmingham, Alabama

Federal criminal cases work differently from state cases, and the difference tends to start before anyone is even arrested. By the time federal charges are filed, the government has often been investigating for months or even years.  That’s why understanding the investigation process matters so much. The choices you make during a federal investigation can […]

Read more

The Best Outcome Isn’t Always a Dismissal

One of the expectations we sometimes have to work through with a new client is pretty simple: “I hired an attorney, so now my case should be dismissed.” I understand why someone would hope for that, and there are certainly cases where a dismissal is exactly the outcome we are working toward. But there are […]

Read more

When a Mistake Becomes a Criminal Case

A lot of what we deal with in criminal defense starts with a mistake. In my experience, the majority of my clients are good people. They have families, careers, responsibilities, and people who depend on them. They aren’t people who wake up in the morning planning to commit a crime. More often, they made a […]

Read more

Looking Beyond the Criminal Charge

When somebody walks into my office charged with a crime, I’m not there to decide whether they’re a good person or a bad person. People make mistakes. Good people make bad decisions. People also get accused of things they didn’t do, and sometimes what actually happened is a lot more complicated than the first version […]

Read more

Understanding the Three Most Common Drug Crimes in Alabama

Drug charges are among the most frequently prosecuted offenses in Alabama, and they range from simple possession of a small amount of marijuana to serious felony trafficking cases. Understanding how Alabama defines and punishes each of these crimes is the first step toward understanding the charge you or a loved one may be facing as […]

Read more

Prosecution Tactics in Domestic Violence Cases

A domestic violence charge can move through the criminal justice system much differently than many other criminal cases. Prosecutors often begin preparing their case immediately after an arrest, and they may continue pursuing charges even when the alleged victim no longer wants the case to proceed. Understanding how prosecutors build domestic violence cases in Birmingham, […]

Read more

Can You Legally Resist Arrest in Alabama?

Being arrested is stressful for a defendant, and can even be angering, especially if you believe the arrest is unfair or unlawful. In that moment, many people wonder whether they have the right to physically resist, pull away, or refuse to comply with officers. The short answer is no; resisting arrest is generally a criminal […]

Read more