Charged with a felony?
Being charged with a felony crime can have serious consequences on a person's rights, before even considering the potential punishment. Felony cases typically appear in Circuit Courts in Maryland, with a few caveats. Felonies like theft, forgery, bad checks, identity fraud, credit card fraud, and animal cruelty all can be charged in either District Court or Circuit Court. In the event that any of these charges are brought in District Court, a person would have the right to ask to have their case moved to the Circuit Court through a jury trial prayer. FrizWoods can help you wide a wide variety of felony cases including:
- Drug Cases
- First Degree Assault Cases
- Sex Offenses
- DUI Manslaughter Cases
- Theft Cases
- Robbery Cases
- Gun Cases
- White Collar cases
- Attempted Murder Cases
And many more.
What are the potential penalties?
In Maryland, felony charges usually carry higher potential penalties, with longer potential jail sentences. They also come with more long term consequences like loss of voting rights, and firearm ownership. Felony sentences are usually based on Maryland's Sentencing Guidelines. Sentences of over 18 months are usually served at one of Maryland's State Prisons, not a local county detention center. With so much at stake, it is important that you hire a qualified Maryland Felony Attorney to defend you in court.
Don't bring a divorce lawyer to a felony trial.
Maryland is full of attorneys who bill themselves as "criminal defense attorneys" who also spend part of their day analyzing car accident cases. Both Luke Woods and Max Frizalone specialize in criminal defense, and each of them has earned not guilty verdicts on felony charges. Luke and Max have experience picking juries and trying felony cases before Judges and Juries alike. Choosing the wrong attorney to bring to trial can mean the difference between freedom and a long period of incarceration. Call us today for a free consultation.
Luke Woods is a veteran trial attorney with over two decades of purely criminal defense experience. Luke has experience defending clients in felony cases of all varieties. Luke has earned acquittals, dismissals, and not guilty jury verdicts on countless felony cases during his career as a private attorney. Luke will leverage his knowledge of felony cases to ensure your case is dismissed before indictment. The most important thing you can do if charged with a felony is call hire experienced legal counsel like Luke Woods who knows the ins and outs of the criminal justice system. Call today and speak with him directly for a free case analysis.
Max Frizalone accrued felony trial experience in his prior roles as a prosecutor, public defender, and private attorney. Max has defended felony cases in Circuit Courts throughout Maryland. Max and Luke have worked together to have high profile cases dismissed in the past, including a first degree rape. Max is unafraid of taking a case to trial, which has earned him the respect of numerous States Attorney's Offices, and judges alike. Max and Luke make a great team, having previously collaborated on charges to include first-degree murder.
Want to speak directly with an attorney? Give us a call today
What makes Circuit Court different?
Cases in Circuit Court tend to have more Court dates. Additionally, persons charged in Circuit Court have additional rights to separate hearings like Motions hearings ahead of a potential trial. In Circuit Court all Defendants are entitled to a jury trial, which consists of twelve residents of the County where the charge is brought, all of whom will have to unanimously agree on the verdict. In the event one of those jurors didn't agree, this would be considered a "hung jury" and the State could re-charge the case as many times as necessary to receive a unanimous not guilty, or guilty verdict.
Circuit Court has additional discovery rules. Discovery rules govern the exchange of evidence between the State and Defense, and mandate certain disclosures. Defendant's in Circuit Court have well defined speedy trial rights, which mandate that a person have a trial within 180 days of their first appearance, or their lawyer's appearance. Experienced counsel will identify this speedy trial or "Hicks date" early on in the case and ensure that your speedy trial rights aren't given up.
Even misdemeanor cases can make it to Circuit Court if appealed, or charged by the State. This frequently happens in gun cases. Many counties choose to indict these cases to have them heard in the Circuit Court, despite the fact that many gun offenses are misdemeanors.
Contact Us at either of our offices
Upper Marlboro Office
14513 Main Street, Ste B,
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
(301) 720-1917
Columbia Office
6304 Woodside Court, Suite 110
Columbia, MD 21046
(410) 346-9384