IF ARRESTED OR SUSPECTED, HIRE A LAWYER

    Criminal defendants all too often have the mistaken belief that they should plead guilty if they in fact committed a crime. However, it is the prosecutor's legal burden to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt that a criminal defendant is guilty. A criminal defendant has no obligation to admit his or her guilt even if guilty. It is not a lie or crime for a person to plead innocent even if the person thinks he or she committed a crime. "Not guilty" or "innocent" are the essential pleas unless and until a criminal defendant determines -- with the informed advice of a highly competent criminal defense attorney -- that it is a wiser risk to do otherwise. Click here for information on Your Rights and the Police 

MARKS & KATZ'S APPROACH TO FIGHTING FOR CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS

    A person is rarely in more time of need than when s/he is arrested for or suspected of a jailable crime. We go to the mat for our criminal defense clients, with caring, a passion to win, and with partner Jon Katz's many years of in-depth criminal defense experience. 

    When a client is suspected of a crime, but not yet arrested, we provide our client a full risk analysis, and advise not to speak with law enforcement authorities. We try to make the matter go away either by letting it disappear on its own, or by trying to persuade the investigators and prosecutors that their time on the case is not worthwhile or not justified. If a client learns of a pending arrest warrant, we try to get the warrant removed, or else we can accompany our client to turn himself or herself in, to then argue for immediate release or for the lowest possible bond. 

    When a client is prosecuted in court, we immediately file essential legal motions and court notices to protect our client's rights, fully investigate the case with our client's input, and fully brainstorm with our client for a winning strategy. We fully prepare our cases to go to trial, assure a full grasp of the governing law, and absorb the evidence (both good and bad) to present our client's case in the most persuasive light. 

    Because a conviction is a possible outcome of a criminal case -- even for innocent people, unfortunately -- we fully prepare a careful trial record to make a stronger appeal of any conviction; we fully prepare with our clients to fight for the most favorable sentence in the event of a conviction; and we file and argue persuasive motions for sentence reductions. A conviction does not always need to be final, which is why we seek retrials when advisable, file and argue aggressive appeals, and file and argue vigorous post conviction and habeas corpus petitions. For acquittals and dismissals, we file petitions to seal or expunge our clients' public records or their cases. 

    Since 1991, our Criminal Defense partner Jon Katz has been battling for criminal defendants against unjust forces, whether those forces come from police, prosecutors, lawmakers, judges, jailers, or laypeople who lie to seek convictions. We never flinch about representing our criminal defense clients, no matter how heinous the accusations or our clients' apparent actions (and we take very seriously that our clients are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt). We do not hesitate to visit even the most depressing jails and prisons (from which we seek our detained clients' release). We visit alleged crime scenes and essential witnesses regardless of how dangerous or opulent the neighborhood. We do this because our clients' liberty is on the line, because it is the only way to obtain justice, because it is our obligation as lawyers and human beings, because it is the right thing to do, and because we would not have it any other way. 

MARKS & KATZ PROVIDES FULL SERVICE TO NON-CITIZEN CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS

    Many of our criminal defense clients are not United States citizens. For non-citizens, a conviction means not only possible jail time, but can also mean a risk of deportation, exclusion, and denial or delay of adjustment of status. In such situations, our Criminal Defense partner Jon Katz works closely with our Immigration Law partner Jay Marks to fully strategize for, fight for, and advise our non-citizen criminal defense clients. Please click here for further details. 

MEET OUR CRIMINAL DEFENSE PARTNER JON KATZ - Never Prosecuted/Never Will

   Our Criminal Defense partner Jon Katz early on developed a strong bias for the defense side of criminal law. Police and prosecutors have awesome powers that can be used for good but that also can be severely abused. Let us not forget that police abuse has included brutal beatings of civil rights demonstrators in the South, the killing of Amadou Diallo, and the brutal torture of Abner Louima.

    Jon began his criminal defense career in 1991, defending over one thousand indigent criminal defendants with the Maryland Public Defender's Office (1991-96). Public defender work is one of the highest callings a lawyer can fulfill, if the lawyer is able and dedicated to meet the challenge. The ongoing challenge for public defenders is to eliminate underfunding and insufficient resources. 

    Jon's aptitude for blue collar criminal cases is strongly rooted in his public defender experience. For white collar criminal cases, Jon offers a combination of strong criminal defense experience and financial world experience (Irving Trust Company, Examiner (1985-86); Chubb Insurance, Insurance Assistant (1984); and Shearson/American Express, Intern to Financial Consultant (1983)). Jon has significant regulatory experience rooted in his attorney work with a Washington, D.C., corporate and regulatory law firm (1989-91); and as a law clerk with the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (1987). Jon is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (1991-present) (Advisory Board Member, Champion Magazine (1996-present)), Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys Association, Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Legal Committee, 

WHAT DO CLIENTS SAY ABOUT JON? "Jon and his staff were meticulous, dedicated, and determined to ensure my rights as a citizen were fully maintained during my case. He laid out several scenarios on how things could proceed and stuck to the one that we both felt had the highest likelihood of success of maintaining my innocence - which was the end result. While I was financially constrained, Jon worked with me to ensure I had the best defense I could, which was more than I ever imagined! I keep Jon's card in my wallet and highly recommend him to anyone needing legal services." (From a criminal defense client).

"Mr. Katz has provided excellent service at competitive price for my case. Everything went on just as what he described in our initial meeting. I'm so satisfied with the outcome, and I'd strongly recommend this attorney! I really appreciate your effort you put in my case, Jon." (From a criminal defense client). 

PAYING FOR MARKS & KATZ'S SERVICES

    Marks & Katz strongly believes in charging a fair price for quality criminal defense (click here). 

FOR OUR CRIMINAL LAW NEWS COVERAGE, PLEASE CLICK HERE. 

OUR CRIMINAL DEFENSE-RELATED ARTICLES

Driving While Intoxicated Defense (2000)

Drug Law Questions and Answers (2004- ) - Partner Jon Katz's drug law analyses and views in Overgrow.com's Security & Legal forum. 

Fighting for Justice Through Jury Trials (1997)

Fighting Unjust Conviction and Unjust Sentences (2006)

Frequently Asked Questions About Criminal Defense

How to Pay for a Quality Lawyer (2003)

In Praise of Sunwolf (2004)

Learning From the Trial Lawyer's College (1997)

Marks & Katz - Lawyers for Sexual Freedom (2002)

Marks & Katz Wins Dismissal Of Nightclub Prosecution In Maryland's Highest Court (2002)

Marks & Katz's Wins for Criminal Defense (Each case is different (e.g., with a different set of facts, law, and adjudicators), and this listing is by no means meant to indicate the results Marks & Katz, LLC, will obtain for future clients. Our goal, of course, is for winning advocacy at every turn).

Mounting the Medical Marijuana Defense (October 17, 2003). 

Opposing Embarrassment Sentences (2001)

Opposing Unjust Prosecutions of Political Speech - Marks & Katz's pro bono amicus brief for the DC National Lawyers Guild chapter, in Sassower v. U.S. 

Opposing Unnecessary Fattening of the Criminal Code (March 2006)

The Plowshares (2000)

Pretrial Preparation on the Road to Victory (2005)

Protecting Immigrants in Criminal Court (2003)

The Sniper Case (2002)

When First Amendment Rights Prevent Criminal Convictions (1995)

Your Rights and the Police (ongoing)

MARKS & KATZ, LLC - FIGHTING FOR CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS

FOR A CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATION, CONTACT US:

How We Bill/Contact Us:

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

justice@markskatz.com

WE TRAVEL EVERYWHERE IN MARYLAND, DC, AND VIRGINIA FOR JUSTICE