When facing domestic violence charges, it is important to understand your legal rights and potential defenses that can work for you. One such strategy is claiming self-defense. Since it is not against the law to use force to defend yourself from harm, can you claim...
A conviction for a criminal offense can have far-reaching legal and personal implications. Even after paying your debt to society, a criminal record can still linger on and cause problems. For instance, something as simple as a DUI on your record can make it quite...
It can be scary sending off your children to college. They’ll be alone in the world for the first time without knowing all of the rules. While your children will benefit greatly from college, there’s also one danger you should be recognize. Your child could be using...
If the police arrest you for drunk driving, you must remember that a charge does not guarantee a conviction. Many people successfully contest their charges every year. Sadly, many never even try. Here are three defense options that have worked for others in the past:...
The Youth Equity and Safety (YES) Act, formally known as Maryland Senate Bill 93, could bring good news for under-18s facing criminal charges – if legislators pass it. The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee called Ortega Law’s Windy Ortega to testify before them on...
One particularly ominous consequence of acrimonious divorces is that the spurned partner may try to retaliate against their soon-to-be ex-spouse by making false accusations against them. These false allegations can be enough to cause decent people who have done...
Like all other states, Maryland categorizes the crime of murder into several degrees. You may be charged with first or second degrees of murder or manslaughter. It all depends on the circumstances of your offense. These degrees of offenses are vastly different, at...
If you’ve been following the news over the last few years, you’ve probably seen that many states have begun legalizing recreational marijuana. In Maryland, medical marijuana was already permitted. This is the same as in many other states, such as Michigan, which had...
In the state of Maryland, requests for compassionate release are denied approximately three times as often as they are granted. This reality largely stems from the harsh restrictions that current state law places on when compassionate release is allowable and when it...
You know it is unwise to get behind the wheel with a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) of 0.08% or higher. However, if you are confident your level of intoxication is under this, you may believe it is safe (and legal) to drive. Unfortunately, this is not always the...