Every case is different. Our past record is no assurance that we will be successful in reaching a similar, or favorable, result in any future case.
Mr. Smith’s extensive trial experience — and track record of successful results — has earned him the recognition of his peers, with an AV® Preeminent™* Peer Review Rating in the Martindale-Hubbell peer review rating process, and a 10.0 Superb AVVO rating. These are the highest ratings possible for legal skill, ethical practice, lawyer’s years in practice, disciplinary history, professional achievements and industry recognition. Attorney Smith is considered to be one of the best criminal defense and DUI drunk driving attorneys in Columbia, Ellicott City, and Howard County.
Drunk Driving and MVA Cases
32-year-old construction superintendent arrested and charged with 3rd drunk driving offense. Client entered plea of not guilty and case proceeded to trial. Client found not guilty of all charges. Motor Vehicle Administration also notified client of its intention to suspend client’s driver’s license for 120 days for refusing to take alcohol test. Client requested hearing. After presentation of evidence and legal argument, administrative law judge declined to order any suspension and took no action.
37-year-old office manager was accused of second drunk driving offense. Her case proceeded to trial and she was found not guilty of all charges.
31-year-old separated mother arrested and charged with second drunk driving offense, while on probation for Driving under the Influence of Alcohol, after causing personal injury accident. Client refused all plea bargain offers. Court granted motion to dismiss all charges for violation of client’s constitutional right to a speedy trial after prosecution postponement and court clerk’s errors and delays in scheduling case for trial.
43-year-old salesman stopped for DUI, arrested, and submitted to breath test with result of 0.18. Client refused plea bargain offer. All charges dismissed.
62-year-old banker and lawyer was arrested and charged with Driving While Under the Influence and Driving While Impaired, with a breath test result of 0.17. Case not prosecuted.
28-year old nightclub general manager arrested and charged with third drunk driving offense. All charges dismissed.
54-year-old owner of excavating and landscaping company arrested and charged with second drunk driving offense and refusal to submit to breathalyzer test. Case proceeded to trial with verdict of not guilty on all drunk driving charges. At administrative hearing for refusing the alcohol test, client faced 120-day suspension of driver’s license. Administrative judge concluded that client was justified in not taking breath test, and no suspension was imposed.
17-year-old high school student was arrested and charged with Driving While Under the Influence and Driving While Impaired. Juvenile court granted probation and ordered the Motor Vehicle Administration to withhold the assessment of points.
28-year-old software trainer was arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence and Driving While Impaired after causing head-on collision. Court granted one year of unsupervised probation.
39-year-old publisher was charged with violating probation imposed after first drunk driving conviction, when he was subsequently convicted of two additional drunk driving offenses. Court ordered probation terminated without imposing any incarceration.
17-year-old high school student received two Notices of Suspension, for breath test in excess of 0.08, and for violation of alcohol restriction on driver’s license, arising out of drunk driving arrest. Client received restricted license for employment, to attend college, to attend alcohol treatment, and to visit healthcare providers and obtain prescription medication.
18-year-old college student arrested and charged with Drunk Driving. Motor Vehicle Administration notified client of intention to suspend driver’s license for six months for violation of alcohol restriction, and for 45 days for blood alcohol level of .08 or more. Client requested hearing. After presentation of evidence and legal argument, administrative law judge modified suspension and issued restricted license to attend college.
18-year-old college student was arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence, Driving While Impaired, and Violation of an Alcohol License Restriction. All charges dropped.
Assault Cases
29-year-old owner of construction company was arrested and charged with multiple counts of First Degree Assault, Second Degree Assault, Disorderly Conduct, and False Statement to a Police Officer arising out of barroom brawl. Client entered a plea of not guilty and proceeded to trial. Verdict of not guilty on all charges.
24-year-old employee of federal agency and holder of security clearance was arrested and charged with First and Second Degree Assault arising out of barroom brawl. Case vigorously defended. Prosecution witnesses identified wrong person in courtroom as assailant. All charges dismissed and records expunged.
25-year-old single mother was charged with Second Degree Assault arising out of traffic altercation. Court granted motion to dismiss all charges based upon prosecution’s failure to provide pretrial discovery.
47-year old business exectutive was charged with Second Degree Assault and Reckless Driving arising out of alleged road rage incident between driver and bicyclist. Prosecutor asked the driver to plead guilty to Second Degree Assault and serve 30 days in jail. When plea offer was rejected, the prosecutor retaliated and stated she would request 6 months in jail if the driver was convicted. Client found not guilty of all charges after contested trial.
19-year-old woman was arrested and charged with four counts of Assault on police officers, Disorderly Conduct, and Resisting Arrest arising out of barroom brawl. Case not prosecuted.
Domestic Assault & Protective Orders
30-year-old mother charged with Second Degree Assault arising out of allegations by separated husband that she repeatedly pushed, shoved, and struck him after he arrived to drop off minor daughter, claimed mother was intoxicated, and then husband refused to leave daughter for scheduled time with her mother. Client refused all plea bargain offers, plead not guilty, and was found not guilty after contested trial.
46-year-old corporate manager charged with Second Degree Assault arising out of domestic incident. Verdict of not guilty and all records expunged.
37-year old program manager for major defense contractor arrested and charged with Second Degree Assault after allegedly grabbing and attempting to pull spouse down flight of stairs. Client rejected prosecution’s plea bargain offer and proceeded to trial. Prosecutor dismissed charges in middle of cross-examination of alleged victim after she gave confusing and contradictory testimony regarding the day of the incident, and the manner in which the incident occurred.
31-year-old wife charged with Violation of Protective Order and Telephone Misuse after estranged husband claimed she repeatedly called and texted him in violation of existing protective order sought by husband. Telephone records revealed that it was the husband who repeatedly initiated telephone contact with wife, and then engaged in back and forth communications. Client refused all plea bargain offers. All charges dismissed.
41-year old Chinese computer scientist with green card arrested and charged with Second Degree Assault arising out of domestic argument with husband. Case dismissed at trial.
65-year-old architect arrested and charged with Second Degree Assault after domestic incident. Case dismissed and all records expunged.
33-year old quality assurance analyst, while represented by another lawyer, had final protective order entered against him in District Court after wife filed petition alleging long history of domestic violence, alcoholic behavior, threats with a knife. Case appealed and vigorously contested in Circuit Court. Court ruled in favor of client, vacating earlier protective order and dismissing wife’s petition.
43-year-old accountant and consultant was charged with domestic assault. All charges dismissed and records expunged.
41-year-old mother and homemaker filed petition for protective order after history of physical abuse conduct by husband. Final protective order obtained for client ordering husband out of house, no further abuse, possession of family home, and payment of emergency family maintenance.
30-year-old woman charged with violation of protective order after children’s father claimed she left a voice mail message for him in violation of no contact provision in protective order. Charge dismissed.
43-year old school teacher had final protective order entered against him in District Court after estranged wife filed petition alleging domestic abuse and stalking. Client was not represented by attorney and appealed. On appeal in Circuit Court, judge granted motion to vacate the protective order and dismiss the petition.
Sex Offense / Child Abuse Cases
49-year-old employee of intelligence agency arrested and charged with 15 counts of sexual offenses and child sexual abuse. Eight charges dismissed as a result of pretrial motions. Remaining charges proceeded to trial. Jury returned verdicts of not guilty as to all remaining charges.
44-year-old CPA and corporate executive was arrested and charged with Child Abuse and Second Degree Assault arising out of corporal punishment administered to child. Case proceeded to trial before a jury, which returned a verdict of not guilty.
Parole and probation officer arrested and charged with child sexual abuse. All charges not prosecuted, and all records expunged.
42-year-old middle school teacher arrested and charged with child abuse and sexual offense involving teenage student. Case proceeded to trial. Jury returned not guilty verdicts on all charges, and all records expunged.
39-year-old soccer coach arrested and charged with child abuse, sexual offenses, and assault and battery arising out of alleged fondling of female soccer player. Case proceeded to trial. Jury returned not guilty verdicts on all charges.
50-year-old man arrested and charged with child abuse and sexual offenses arising out of alleged fondling of daughter’s friend. Case proceeded to trial. Jury returned not guilty verdicts on all charges.
46-year-old software engineer was charged with child abuse and sexual abuse of a minor arising out of relative’s allegations of improper touching. First indictment was dismissed after attacking defects in the charges. Second indictment was filed with fewer charges and reduced dates of offenses. Ultimately, after extensive defense investigation, the prosecutor elected to dismiss all charges shortly before trial.
45-year-old counselor arrested and charged with Second Degree Child Abuse and Second Degree Assault after child reported to school that marks on his face were the result of his mother. Police and Department of Social Services investigation ensued. All charges dismissed.
45-year-old counselor arrested and charged with Second Degree Child Abuse and Second Degree Assault after child reported to school that marks on his face were the result of his mother. Police and Department of Social Services investigation ensued. All charges dismissed.
24-year-old charged with burglary and assault with intent to commit a sexual offense arising out of alleged apartment break-in of female resident. All charges dismissed after results of private investigation presented to prosecuting attorney.
34-year-old custodian arrested and charged with 14 counts of first degree rape and various sexual offenses. Case proceeded to trial. Jury returned not guilty verdicts on all charges.
Drug and Narcotics Cases
40-year-old District Attorney from another state arrested and charged with possession of cocaine while traveling in Maryland. All charges dismissed and all records expunged.
21-year old student was stopped by police officer for having cracked windshield, and then questioned repeatedly about whether driver had any illegal in car. After finally admitting to having a marijuana pipe, police searched car and seized marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and weapons. Plea bargain offer rejected and case proceeded to trial. Court ruled that initial stop of car, and continued detention, was unlawful and suppressed all evidence. Client found not guilty of all charges.
20-year-old passenger arrested and charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substance, and Possession of Paraphernalia after car stopped for failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign, and search resulted in seizure of drugs and paraphernalia. All charges dismissed.
22-year-old carpenter’s helper charged with Possession of Heroin and CDS Paraphernalia after being stopped by off duty police officer for swerving and K-9 drug dog alerted for drugs after scanning car. All charges dismissed.
21-year-old student arrested and charged with Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. All charges dismissed and records expunged.
25-year-old account manager charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute and related offenses after police executed search and seizure warrant on home, recovering approximately 2 lbs of marijuana, scales, paraphernalia, etc. Charges reduced to misdemeanor Possession of Marijuana and client received probation before judgment (i.e. no criminal conviction).
22-year-old young man was sitting in parked car with female friend shooting heroin when a police officer responded to call for suspicious vehicle, questioned them, searched car, seized drugs and syringes, and charged them with Possession of Heroin and CDS Paraphernalia. All charges dismissed.
19-year-old college student from out of state was arrested at concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion and charged with Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. All charges dismissed.
22-year-old marketing associate arrested and charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substance, and Possession of Paraphernalia after car stopped for failing to display a registration plate, and resulted in seizure of drugs and paraphernalia. All charges dismissed.
Two 19-year-old female students were arrested and charged with Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Paraphernalia. All charges dismissed.
24-year-old grocery store employee arrested and charged with Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substance after car was stopped for an improper registration plate and search resulted in seizure of drugs. All charges dismissed and records expunged.
19-year-old male college student arrested and charged with Possession of Marijuana. Charge dismissed and all records expunged.
19-year-old cashier and 20-year-old disabled man were in a car that was stopped because driver wasn’t wearing seatbelt. Police searched car after observing furtive movements of passengers and charged occupants with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. All charges dismissed against both clients.
20-year-old college student arrested and charged with Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substance and Possession of Paraphernalia while riding as a passenger in a car stopped for speeding and search resulted in seizure of drugs and paraphernalia. All charges dismissed and records expunged.
19-year-old college student charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia after police stopped her car at dead end street late at night and detected odor of marijuana. All charges dismissed.
Handgun & Firearm Cases
69-year-old salesman’s house was searched pursuant to search & seizure warrant, resulting in police seizure of numerous handguns, rifles, shotguns, and ammunition. Client charged with four counts of being a felon in possession of regulated firearms. All charges dismissed.
A 22-year-old student at Towson University in Baltimore County was arrested and charged with illegal possession of a firearm (handgun) on public school property, after campus police received a tip that the student kept a handgun in his dorm room. The prosecutor sought a conviction, with forfeiture of the handgun, warning that the judge was likely to send the student to jail if convicted. Mr. Smith rejected all plea bargain offers. The student was found not guilty.
Other Criminal Cases
45-year old security manager with top secret security clearance arrested and charged with Malicious Destruction of Property and Endangering Property while Intoxicated arising out of alleged drunkenness in bar. All charges dismissed before trial.
43-year-old research scientist was arrested and charged with burglary and theft after he unknowingly purchased stolen computers that were tracked to his home and seized by police during execution of search warrant. All charges dismissed.
26-year-old female law student and corporate employee arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Case proceeded to trial on plea of not guilty, and client found not guilty of all charges.
18-year-old student was charged with Fourth Degree Burglary, felony Theft, and misdemeanor Theft. All charges dropped.
Serious Traffic/Motor Vehicle Cases
54-year old woman with security clearance charged with two counts of failing to remain at the scene of a bodily injury accident after allegedly striking pedestrian with her car in shopping center parking lot and leaving the scene. Case proceeded to trial. Not guilty of all charges.
39-year old registered nurse was stopped and charged with two counts of driving with a suspended driver’s license and privilege. Court granted motion to dismiss one violation for failing to state an offense. Prosecutor then dismissed remaining charge, clearing client of all charges.
52-year-old hotel front desk manager was charged with driving without a license. Case proceeded to trial. Court granted motion to suppress evidence based upon insufficient basis for police officer to stop client’s car. Verdict of not guilty.
36-year-old computer scientist was charged with hit & run after striking parked car in shopping center parking lot and leaving the scene. Case dismissed.
59-year old warehouseman charged with hit & run after passing out, driving off the road, and striking a light pole. Charge dismissed.
45-year-old security specialist with top security clearance received a speeding ticket and failed to pay the ticket or appear in court on the scheduled trial date. He was later stopped and arrested for Driving with a Suspended License, after police officer ran routine check of his car’s registration plate. All charges dismissed.
39-year-old corporate executive charged in traffic citation with traveling at 95 m.p.h. in a 55 m.p.h. zone (5 points). Plea of not guilty and verdict of not guilty.
23-year old recruiter arrested and charged with driving on a suspended driver’s license and suspended vehicle registration. All charges dismissed.
19-year-old manufacturing employee stopped, arrested, and charged with two counts of driving while license suspended where license had been suspended for violation of under-21 alcohol restriction after DUI arrest. Charges amended to single charge of failure to display driver’s license on demand (violation not resulting in any points), and fine of $100.00 imposed and suspended.
Other MVA Cases
40-year-old corporate executive who travels extensively received Notice of Revocation from MVA for point accumulation. Client had 28 points at time of hearing. Administrative Law Judge declined to revoke driver’s license, and instead imposed suspension with restricted license for employment purposes.
39-year-old CEO received Notice of Suspension from Motor Vehicle Administration after receiving nine points on his Maryland driving record. Client requested a hearing. After presentation of testimony and legal argument, administrative law judge declined to order any suspension.
Contact Our Office
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