DC Criminal Lawyer Blog

Despite the arguments of his Washington DC Criminal Defense Attorney, a man accused of slaying two store clerks during a botched robbery attempt was ordered held until his preliminary hearing on August 3. While his public defender argued that Christian Taylor, 25, should be released because he has no prior record of violent offenses, a DC Superior Court judge disagreed after noting that the suspect tested positive for cocaine after his arrest.

Taylor's arrest came after he was identified on surveillance video as the man who shot and killed a men's clothing store owner and his son while attempting to rob the store. The video shows a man entering the store and brandishing a handgun, ordering the clerk, Li-Jen Chih, to place money into a bag. After the suspect placed the gun in the bag, Chih attempted to wrestle it away from the suspect. The suspect then stood and fired the gun at the clerk, whose father rushed in upon hearing the gunshots. After Ming-Kun Chih attempted to knock the gun out of the suspect's hands, the shooter fired at him before tucking the gun into the waistband of his pants and fleeing the store.
Witnesses identified the car in which the suspect fled, and one recorded the vehicle's tag number. The car was traced to Taylor's mother, and he was subsequently identified as the shooter on the surveillance video.

Christian Taylor has been charged with two counts of first degree felony murder.

This article is presented by The Law Offices of David Benowitz, a criminal defense firm serving Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. For more information, please visit our Maryland Criminal Attorney and Virginia Criminal Attorney websites.

Practicing in a metropolitan area, it is common for an experienced DC criminal lawyer to represent a number of individuals who have been accused of criminal charges occurring on a college campus. As these locations tend to house many young adults within a small area, it quickly becomes a hotspot for potential robberies to occur. The circumstances are similar for multiple armed robberies recently recorded on Howard University's campus downtown.
According to university law enforcement officials, the DC armed robbery charges are stemming from a hold up that took place in the early hours of April 1st, inside the engineering building. Four masked men approached students ordering them to give up their personal belongings. Immediately afterward, the robbers fled the scene onto Georgia Avenue.

Washington DC police officers claim that over the next three hours, the suspects committed nine more armed robberies. Each report had similar circumstances. The robbers have allegedly targeted Hispanic and black men either walking alone or in pairs, stealing cell phones and other personal items. Although no one was injured in the robberies, the suspects allegedly threatened some victims with a gun before they forfeited their belongings.

While detectives are investigating the series of armed robberies, Howard University is taking precautions. In addition to heightening security on campus, the university has encouraged all students to keep building and residence hall doors locked. Lastly, if a student witnesses anything suspicious, they are to immediately report it to university police.

Facing criminal charges is a strenuous process for anyone to go through, regardless of where the crime allegedly occurred. Conviction of DC armed robbery charges could have life-changing and permanent consequences, including significant jail time. For the highest quality legal advice and legal representation, it is vital to contact a trustworthy and aggressive DC armed robbery lawyer immediately. Doing so can help protect your personal liberties and freedoms from being taken away.

This article is presented by The Law Offices of David Benowitz, representing clients in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. For more information, please visit our Virginia Robbery Attorney and Maryland Robbery Lawyer websites.

During the legal career of an experienced Washington DC criminal defense attorney, it is common to represent a number of individuals who have been accused of criminal charges, including armed robbery. Because these individuals often take what they wish and flee the scene, sometimes it is difficult for law enforcement officials to track down their suspects. A recent example of this is showcased as Washington DC Police try to track down the men responsible for three armed robberies in Northeast DC.

Over the past three weeks, two black men entered a restaurant or store, one with a gun in hand while the other demands money from the cash register. The first of these DC armed robbery charges stemmed from an incident occurring in the evening hours of February 23, when the men held up a Burger King restaurant in Northeast Washington. The second incident involved a CVS store, while the most recent armed robbery occurred at a Yes Market. Once they obtained the money they wanted, they immediately fled the scene.

One suspect is described as being approximately 6 feet tall, weighing between 220-240 pounds. The other suspect is a slightly shorter black man, weighing approximately 180-190 pounds. Both men were described as having dark complexions and wearing baseball caps. In the second and third armed robberies, up to four other suspects have also been accounted for. The identities of these men is currently unknown and the Washington DC police is conducting a full investigation at this time.

This article is presented by The Law Offices of David Benowitz, representing clients in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. For more information, please visit our Maryland Criminal Attorney and Virginia Criminal Attorney websites.

Each day, as Washington DC Criminal Attorneys, we come across several cases of criminal charges for armed robbery involving juveniles, much like the recent incident in which four young boys - one 11 year-old, and three 15 year-olds' were arrested for holding up a small food shop. The armed robbery was planned carefully, as the money they stole was to be used to buy an XBox gaming console. Their first theft attempt was at a 7-Eleven, but was called off because the young men decided that the store clerk was too big to overpower.

They next targeted location for the armed robbery was a Chevron Food Stop, because the teens believed that they could take on the "short and scrawny guy." On the night of the heist, one of the older boys instructed his younger brother, the 11 year-old, to grab their airsoft pellet gun and a bag. After their mother fell asleep, the two boys snuck out of the house to meet the other teenagers at the shopping center. When they walked into the food shop, the youngest of the boys pretended to buy candy while his older brother put the clerk in a chokehold, and pressed to pistol against him. Then all of the youths fled the store with $200 cash from the register.

About a half an hour after the robbery, the boys were stopped by police officers unrelated to the robbery. That same officer viewed the surveillance videos from inside the Food Stop and recognized the boys immediately. After interrogating the boys, law enforcement officials discovered that they had planned for quite some time to rob a convenience store to buy the gaming console. Additionally, one of the teens showed police officers where they had dumped the airsoft pistol after the armed robbery.

All four of the young men were charged last week with first-degree robbery. Because they were charged as juveniles, their names have yet to be released to the public. Because of the youngest defendant's age, prosecutors will present their case against him before a judge in a "capacity hearing," where the plaintiff's must show that the 11 year-old understands the criminal charge of which he is accused before going forward with the prosecution.

This article is presented by The Law Offices of David Benowitz, representing clients in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. For more information, please see our Virginia Criminal Lawyers and the Clearwater Criminal Lawyer websites.

Throughout the career of an experienced Washington Washington DC criminal lawyer, it is likely that they will represent individuals accused of armed robbery charges. However, cases handled are rarely as extensive as the December 1st fatal robbery in which a DC officer has been charged. A few weeks ago, Washington DC police released the names of two more suspects. Lynn Daniel Wilkerson, 33, and Jarvis Clark, 19, have been slapped with first degree felony murder charges. The officer, Reginald Jones, and two other suspects have already been arrested on the same charges. Police have released the names of these men in order to receive public aid in finding them.

The aforementioned incident was an attempted street robbery that occurred on the 4300 block of Fourth Street in Southeast Washington DC. One of the robbers, Arvel Alston, was fatally shot during the incident. The shooter was his son, Avrel Crawford, and it allegedly was an accident. When the shooting occurred, there was a police car parked only a short distance away. Inside the car were former officer Jones and a man known as "L." Following investigation police have determined that "L" is referring to Wilkinson.

The other missing suspect, Clark, allegedly help confront the target of the robbery, a forty-five year old man who has been accused of selling illicit drugs. As the man walked to his vehicle, Clark and other robbers accosted him with guns and tried to force him into their car. When the man fought back, Crawford allegedly attempted to shoot him, but hit his father in the side on accident.

And as for Jones: although he did not fire a shot in this case, he did act as a lookout for the robbery. Prior to the incident, he drove his car through the area to clear it out of potential witnesses. All suspects, regardless of their role, all received the same felony murder charges under the doctrine that each participant of a crime is equally responsible for its outcome.

This article is presented by The Law Offices of David Benowitz, representing clients in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. For more information please visit our Virginia Criminal Lawyers and Maryland Criminal Lawyers websites.