Archives for December 2018

Adamstown Man Charged with Soliciting Sex with Minors on Snapchat

snap chat criminal case
Frederick County Sheriff’s officers, in conjunction with the FBI, arrested a 21-year-old man on the campus of the University of Maryland—Baltimore County. Officials say they had evidence that the defendant was using the mobile app Snapchat to solicit minors for sex. He was also charged with child pornography solicitation. Snapchat is a mobile messaging app that allows for “temporary” sharing of pictures, videos, drawings and text. All Snapchat messages “self-destruct” in 10 seconds.

A spokesperson for the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said that the investigation began in August, when they were notified that the defendant was approaching minors for sex on Snapchat. The defendant was apparently taken without incident and confessed to the crime.

AV-Rated Ellicott City, Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney

Maryland Super Lawyer Jonathan Scott Smith has more over 30 years of experience successfully representing criminal defendants in Frederick County and across the state of Maryland. He’ll be at your side throughout the criminal process, from investigation and arrest to arraignment and trial. He’ll carefully investigate whether police and prosecutors followed constitutional procedure when gathering evidence against you. He’ll gather, evaluate and preserve all evidence and interview all potential witnesses, building and presenting the most compelling arguments in your defense.

Jonathan Scott Smith has extensive trial experience, as well as the skill, knowledge and resources to protect your rights in any criminal matter. With a well-earned reputation for effective advocacy, he has been awarded the Client’s Choice Award from AVVO, with an average client review of 5 stars (the highest rating possible). Attorney Smith has a perfect 10.0 Superb rating as a litigation attorney from AVVO, and was recognized as a 2012 Top-Rated Lawyer by The American Lawyer Magazine. AV-rated under Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review System, he has also been named a Maryland Super Lawyer.

Effective Columbia, MD Criminal Defense Lawyer

Contact attorney Jonathan Scott Smith by e-mail or call our office at 410-740-0101 for an appointment. We represent criminal defendants in Howard County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Prince Georges County and Montgomery County in Maryland.

Baltimore Homicide Rate Down in 2018

Baltimore, MD Harbor Dusk

City Still Expects More than 300 Murders This Year

For Baltimore residents concerned about the safety of their streets, there’s good news and there’s bad news. The good news—through mid-December, there’s been a 10% drop in the number of murders in the city, compared to 2017. The bad news—officials still expect that the total number of homicides will top 300 again.

A 64-year-old store owner died on Sunday, December 16, the 298th person to die from street violence in Baltimore in 2018. Mayor Catherine Pugh attributes the decline to the impact of the city’s safe street centers, where former criminals work to mediate disputes before they end in violence. The mayor says that, while the decrease is a good sign, there’s still a long way to go. She blames territorialism, often tied to drugs, as a major factor in the continued violence, but admits that what often starts as a battle over turf can escalate in a war of retaliation.

Results-Oriented Baltimore Criminal Defense Attorney

For more than 30 years, attorney Jonathan Scott Smith has aggressively defended the rights of people facing criminal prosecution in the greater Baltimore area and across Maryland. With a comprehensive knowledge of criminal law and procedure, he’ll investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding your arrest or detention, gathering evidence to support your defense, and ensuring that police officers followed constitutional requirements.

Well-regarded by his clients and by colleagues in the legal profession, attorney Smith has been named a Maryland Super Lawyer, and was listed a Top Rated Lawyer by The American Lawyer Magazine in 2012. He is AV-rated (the highest rating possible) under Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Rating System. He holds a 10.0 (Superb rating) as a litigation attorney from AVVO and has also been a recipient of the Client’s Choice Award from AVVO, with an average client review of 5 stars.

Proven Criminal Defense Lawyer in Prince Georges County

At the law offices of Jonathan Scott Smith, we fight for the rights of criminal defendants. Contact our office by e-mail or call 410-740-0101 to arrange a meeting. We handle cases throughout Howard County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Prince Georges County and Montgomery County in Maryland.

Rap Artist Killed as Baltimore Homicide Spree Continues

homicide criminal defense

Nick Breed, the 24-year-old Baltimore rapper who was starting to make a name for himself, was found dead late last month in the city’s Allendale neighborhood. Breed, whose given name was Dominic Gantt, was found by Baltimore police around 7:30 pm on October 23, with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at the University of Maryland Trauma Center. Police have no suspects.

The shooting death was just one of more than 40 homicides reported in Baltimore in October. Court records indicate that Gantt had faced criminal charges in the past, including accusations of violent criminal behavior. His girlfriend said that he had recently joined a church and was working to integrate his faith journey into his music.

AV-Rated Columbia, Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney

Maryland Super Lawyer Jonathan Scott Smith has more than three decades of experience successfully representing criminal defendants in Frederick County and the surrounding areas. He will protect your rights at any phase of the criminal process, from investigation to arrest to arraignment to trial. He’ll conduct an extensive investigation, looking at whether police and prosecutors followed procedure when gathering evidence against you. He’ll assess and preserve all evidence and carefully interview witnesses, so that he can prepare and present the most effective arguments in your defense.

Jonathan Scott Smith is an experienced trial attorney, with the skill, experience, knowledge and resources to protect your rights before a judge and jury. With a longstanding reputation for effective advocacy, attorney Smith has been awarded the Client’s Choice Award from AVVO, with an average client review of 5 stars (the highest rating possible). He has a perfect 10.0 Superb rating as a litigation attorney from AVVO, was recognized as a 2012 Top-Rated Lawyer by The American Lawyer Magazine, is AV-rated under Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review System, and has been named a Maryland Super Lawyer.

Effective Ellicott City Criminal Defense Lawyer

Don’t take any chances when you are facing criminal charges. Contact attorney Jonathan Scott Smith by e-mail or call our office at 410-740-0101 for an appointment. We represent criminal defendants in Howard County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Prince Georges County and Montgomery County in Maryland.

Former Maryland Student Faces Murder and Hate Crime Charges

criminal defense case

Suspect’s Phone Had Evidence of White Supremacist Sympathies

A 24-year-old former University of Maryland student has been arrested and charged with first degree murder in the slaying of a campus visitor in May, 2017. According to police officers, the Maryland student fatally stabbed Army 2nd Lt. Richard Collins III, a student at Bowie State University. The defendant is Caucasian and the victim was African-American.

In the course of the investigation into the crime, police found a Facebook page on the defendant’s phone that showed what University of Maryland police chief David Mitchell referred to as “extreme bias against women, Latinos, persons of Jewish faith and especially African-Americans.” The defendant’s phone showed that he subscribed to a Facebook group called “Alt-Reich: Nation,” whose members expressed and shared white supremacist ideologies.

Police say that Collins was visiting friends at the College Park campus when the defendant confronted him at a bus stop, telling him to “step left if you know what’s best for you.” When Collins refused, the defendant stabbed him in the chest.

Attorneys for the defendant have sought to have the phone evidence excluded, saying it is not relevant to the case. Prosecutors allege, however, that the evidence supports the assertion that the defendant made a “purposeful selection” to confront Collins because he was African-American.

Proven Baltimore Criminal Defense Lawyer

For more than three decades, attorney Jonathan Scott Smith has aggressively protected the rights of criminal defendants in the Baltimore metropolitan area and throughout Maryland. He brings a comprehensive knowledge of criminal law and procedure to every case he handles. He’ll carefully investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding your arrest or detention, ensuring that law enforcement officers did not violate your constitutional rights.

Attorney Smith is well-respected with his clients and with colleagues. He’s been named a Maryland Super Lawyer, and was listed Top Rated Lawyer by The American Lawyer Magazine in 2012. He is also AV-rated (the top rating possible) by members of the legal profession under Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Rating System. He holds a 10.0 (Superb rating) as a litigation attorney from AVVO and has also been a recipient of the Client’s Choice Award from AVVO, with an average client review of 5 stars.

Effective Prince Georges County Criminal Defense Lawyer

We’ll aggressively protect your rights in any criminal matter. Contact our office by e-mail or call 410-740-0101 to arrange a meeting. We defend cases throughout Howard County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Prince Georges County and Montgomery County in Maryland.

ADDRESS :

  • Jonathan Scott Smith 10490 Little Patuxent Parkway, Suite 200 ,Columbia, MD 21044-4960

  • Call for consultation 410-740-0101