DC Criminal Lawyer Blog

A Washington DC man entered a guilty plea November 10th in DC Superior Court for a shooting rampage in which four people were shot, one sustaining fatal injuries in the incident. Thirty-three-year-old Seneca Benjamin, who was previously convicted on 16 separate counts in relation to the incident, entered the plea, at the advising of his Washington DC criminal attorney, during jury deliberations in the case.

Benjamin's previous convictions included mayhem while armed, aggravated assault while armed, and assault with intent to kill for the incident on April 26th of 2009 that left fourty-two-year-old Monique Nalle dead of gunshot wounds to the head and chest. Federal prosecutors said that Benjamin "periodically spent time" at the home where his uncle and cousin lived with Nalle. Evidence in the case indicated that Benjamin went to their home on the day of the shooting, asking Nalle about a submachine gun. Nalle denied knowing where the gun was located, and prosecutors say she then accused Benjamin of slashing her son's tires. After refuting Nalle's claim, police say, Benjamin drew a firearm and fatally shot the victim.

Benjamin's uncle Andre Benjamin, who was watching television when the shooting occurred, "dove at" his nephew in an attempt to save Nalle. The defendant then shot Benjamin in the face. After he shot the elder Benjamin and Nalle, Seneca Benjamin encountered Whitfield Arnett, another person living in the house, downstairs in a chair. Benjamin then shot Arnett in the neck, chest and fingers, according to evidence presented in court. A fourth resident at the Bryant Street home snuck back into the house upon hearing the gunshots, and Benjamin shot the man in the chest. All three men survived the wounds sustained in the incident.

Sentencing in the case is set for January 21st, 2011. Benjamin faces more than 100 years in prison for the charges on which he was convicted.

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

When arrests are not immediately made and witnesses cannot instantly identify a suspect in a crime, the elapsed time between the incident and the arrest can either help or hinder an investigation. While an ongoing investigation may allow for the discovery of new evidence, it can also taint existing evidence, such as witness statements as memory begins to fade. A DC criminal defense attorney must look closely at any investigation and the evidence it reveals regardless of whether an arrest is immediate or the result of a lengthy investigation.

Nearly a week after the shooting of three men in a northwest Washington DC neighborhood, police have arrested a suspect. A Washington DC criminal defense lawyer will defend Herbert Jackson Arrington, 24, against charges of assault with intent to kill in the shooting that left two men with life-threatening injuries and a third man in serious condition
.
On June 9, off-duty police officers working at the 9:30 Club heard nearby gunshots and reported to the scene. When they arrived at Eighth and V streets in the Shaw neighborhood, just a couple of blocks from Howard University, they found two seriously injured men. One had a gunshot wound to the head, and the other had bullet wounds to his body. Both men were transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. A third injured man had run to a nearby McDonald's for help and was also hospitalized. Though serious, his wounds were not considered life-threatening.

After the incident, police were looking for a green Chrysler 300 that fled the scene. On June 15, six days after the shooting, Arrington was arrested and charged in the assault.

When an alleged crime results in injury to multiple people, the accused person often faces increased hostility from public perception. It is imperative that A Washington DC criminal defense attorney ensures that an impartial jury is seated should the case go to trial, regardless of the situation leading to an arrest.

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 Gun Lawyer and Maryland Gun Lawyer websites.

A Washington DC criminal defense attorney knows that no one is immune to criminal charges. Political leaders, public officials, and law enforcement officers have all found themselves facing prosecution. Recently, a former DC police officer was convicted of charges stemming from a shooting in 2008.

The DC Superior Court found former police detective Sheldon Hargrove guilty of weapons charges in an incident in which his longtime friend shot an employee after arguing over wages. Hargrove's DC criminal defense lawyer challenged the charges that stemmed from his client supplying the weapon used in the shooting.

According to the prosecutors, Ronald Johnson, a general contractor, called his friend Hargrove for help in an argument with a worker. When Hargrove arrived, he handed Johnson a loaded semi-automatic weapon. Johnson shot the victim, who was sitting in a truck, twice in the chest. When the victim exited the vehicle and ran, Johnson continued to fire the pistol until it was emptied. An off-duty police officer witnessed the shooting and helped apprehend Johnson.

Convicted of assault and weapons charges, Johnson faces up to 15 years in prison. Hargrove, who supplied the weapon, faces up to 5 years as a result of DC Superior Court's guilty verdict. His sentencing will be held July 23.

Not even law enforcement officials and ex-cops are immune to weapons charges such as carrying a pistol without a license, assault with a weapon, and unlawful sale of a firearm. A DC criminal defense attorney knows that no one--regardless of political, professional, or societal contributions--is above the law.

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 Gun Lawyer and Virginia Gun Attorney websites.

Practicing in a metropolitan city, it is common for a DC criminal lawyer to represent a number of juveniles facing criminal charges. Because Washington DC has many universities, colleges, and schools, any students who make a minor mistake, whether there was violent intent or not, still could be taken into police custody. The circumstances are similar in a recent case where two DC teenagers were hit with firearm charges after bringing a BB gun to school.

According to law enforcement officials, the DC gun charges stemmed from a scare occurring last Wednesday, when two St. Albans School students were seen in the parking lot with a rifle. Arya Mortazavi, 18, allegedly transported the firearm to the school in a gray Jeep before allowing the unidentified 17 year-old male to handle the weapon before placing it back in the car.

Although police stated that there was no evidence that the two young men intended on using the BB gun for violent purposes, the incident caused three private schools in the area to go into lock down mode. While the situation was being investigated, entry or exit from St. Albans, The National Cathedral School, and Sidwell Friends schools was strictly prohibited. Though no one was injured, and the boys showed no intent of violence, they were still arrested for criminal violations--Mortazavi was charged with violating DC gun regulations by transporting the BB gun to school grounds, while the other teen was accused of illegal gun possession by a minor.

Facing criminal charges is a scary and difficult experience for anyone to go through, especially for juveniles and individuals just over majority age. Conviction on DC gun charges can have serious and permanent consequences, including fines and possible incarceration. To prevent your personal liberties and freedoms from being taken away, it is essential to contact an experienced and aggressive DC gun lawyer immediately. Doing so can not only provide the highest quality legal advice and legal representation, but also help ensure the most positive outcome for your case.

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 Gun Lawyer and Virginia Gun Attorney websites.

Throughout the legal career of an experienced Washington DC criminal lawyer, it is common to help a number of people accused of criminal charges, regardless of profession. When police officers are under investigation, it sparks even more attention to the case--this is true, particularly with DC's "snowball cop" who infamously pulled a gun during a winter snowball fight downtown.

Great amounts of snowfall in December prompted hundreds of Northwest DC residents to gather and organize a massive snowball fight at the intersection of 14th and U street. After one of the participants tossed a snowball at the vehicle of DC Detective Michael Baylor, he halted his car immediately. When he got out of the vehicle, he confronted the snowball fight participants with a weapon. The altercation was caught on video, sparking a large internet public outcry about the incident. While awaiting his punishment for the DC gun incident, Baylor was moved to desk duty and off active force.

The videos captured of the incident prompted a number of public officials, including Washington DC Chief of Police, Cathy Lainer to speak out against Baylor's actions. In a recent interview, she condemned his actions and announced that he violated department policy. Despite this, she announced that Baylor will remain on the Washington DC Detective Force, on "non-contract status."

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 Lawyer and Virginia Criminal Lawyer websites.

Many times throughout their legal career, a Washington DC criminal attorney is likely to represent a college aged individual who has been accused of criminal charges, including gun possession charges. Clients served have been much like the three freshmen college football players who were arrested early Sunday morning following an incident involving gunfire on campus. Southerners John Drew, Kyle Griswould, and Brandon Putnam were charged with felony possession and discharge of a weapon.

At approximately 3 a.m. Sunday, university police heard gunfire coming from a vehicle that was parked near Jarvis residence hall located on east campus. The same vehicle was found later by campus law enforcement agents in another residence hall parking lot, and traced it back to one of the students that were charged. The weapon, a semiautomatic handgun, has been recovered by campus police officers. According to police, they were not firing at anything in particular, just had the gun pointed in the air. Currently, it is being investigated whether alcohol was involved in the firing of the handgun.

As a result of the felony gun charges, all three members have been dismissed from the football team. Additionally, the school involved, Duke University, has determined that the students would not be allowed to return to campus pending the results of the current law enforcement investigation against them, as well as the resolution of charges. Head coach David Cutcliffe commented, "These types of offenses are going to be associated with dismissal from our team. While these three young men did not meet the expectations of those in the program, our prayers are with them and their families during this difficult 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 Gun Lawyer and Virginia Gun Lawyer web pages.

Practicing in a metropolitan city, it is common for a Washington DC Criminal Defense Attorney to defend famous individuals, including athletes in court against a variety of criminal charges. Similar to many cases handled is the example of four NCAA basketball players who were arrested on drug charges and weapon charges just hours after beating their arch rivals. On New Years Day, a law enforcement officer stopped the young men as they were speeding on a highway.

Cameron Tatum, Tyler Smith, Melvin Goins, and Brian Williams were stopped by police around 11:30 a.m. The law enforcement officer smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the car. Therefore, he called for a K-9 officer and a back-up team. After the K-9 officer confirmed the presence of drugs, the four players were asked to step outside the car so the police could search it.

Upon investigation, police found a handgun under the driver's seat that could be "accessible by either the driver left rear seat passenger." Also found in the vehicle was a handgun that had an altered serial number under the passenger seat. This firearm was accessible by the other two passengers in the car. Also found in the vehicles by investigators was a bag of marijuana and an open container of alcohol.

Although it was not determined if the drivers and the passengers were under the influence of marijuana, according to police reports a strong odor of the drug was coming from the car--as if it was recently smoked in the vehicle. Because of this, instead of giving misdemeanor citations, each player was physically arrested. All were charged with misdemeanors including: unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm with an altered serial number, possession of marijuana and an open container of alcohol. As a result of the charges, head coach Bruce Pearl suspended all four players late Friday.

This articles is presented by The Law Offices of David Benowitz, representing clients in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. For more information, please visit our Maryland Drug Lawyer and Virginia Drug Lawyer web pages.

Practicing in a metropolitan area, a Washington DC criminal lawyer is likely to represent a number of famous or celebrity clients who have been accused of criminal charges. Cases handled are much like the recent arrest of the grandson of Walt Disney for suspicion of gun possession charges. At approximately 5:30 a.m. on December 9th, Patrick Miller Disney, 42, was arrested at his home. He is the youngest son of Disney's only biological daughter, Diane Disney Miller.

This is not Miller's first run-in with law enforcement officials. He was previously arrested in 2005 for drug possession charges. Because Miller was convicted for this crime, he was prohibited from owning or handling any sort of firearm or ammunitions. As a result of his previous conviction, the local police department ran background checks on Miller. During a routine search, it was discovered that Miller had purchased guns and ammunition.. The District Attorney's office filed a felony warrant, ultimately allowing the sheriff's department to search through his home for any illegal activity. The warrant was served, Miller was arrested, and brought to county jail. Bail for Miller was posted at $70,000--although he was arrested a number of weeks ago, he was just released this past week.

Although Miller was originally charged with just one count of felony possession of a firearm, the police investigation of his home showed there was more beneath the surface. Law enforcement officials found thirteen handguns, a rifle, one illegal assault rifle, as well as an assortment of narcotics. As of yesterday, Miller has been slapped with two dozen new charges including nineteen counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by felon or addict, one count of possession of an illegal firearm, and three counts of possession of a controlled substance with a firearm. If convicted, Miller faces up to eight years in a state controlled prison.

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.

Washington DC criminal lawyers assist people accused with a variety of criminal charges, including misdemeanor and felony gun charges. Even celebrities in the Washington DC area can be charged, much like Washington Wizards player Gilbert Arenas. Inquiries are being made concerning the current investigation into alleged gun charges. The National Basketball Association and his team are looking into the accusations that Arenas violated league rules regarding unlawful weapon possession.

The Washington Wizards administration learned that Arenas was storing firearms in a locked container in his locker. The gun was unloaded and without any ammunition. The basketball team immediately notified local law enforcement officials of the discovery. According to Arenas, he originally had the guns at home. However, he moved them to the Verizon Center in order to keep his children away from them. On December 10th, he brought them to the team locker room, until he figured out what to do with them. Shortly afterwards, he turned the firearms over to team security, who then gave them to the Washington DC Police Department.

The National Basketball Association does not have any laws preventing players from owning guns. However, all firearms are strictly prohibited on league property or during times which league business is being conducted. Because Arenas brought guns on to league property, he is facing suspension or a fine, however no official ruling had been made as of Thursday.

Although he currently faces no criminal charges in this incident, it is not his first run-in with law enforcement officials. Arenas was forced to miss the Washington DC Wizards 2004-05 season opener after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor for possession of a concealed weapon. Additionally, in 2003 Arenas was charged with driving without a license.

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 Gun Lawyer and Virginia Gun Lawyer web pages.

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.

During the harsh Washington DC winter, an experienced Washington DC criminal lawyer represents persons that have been charged with a variety of offenses, including gun charges. When the snow falls, and DC residents are unable to leave their homes, tempers flare and people get restless--sometimes leading to criminal action and criminal charges. Similar is the example of the unidentified Washington DC police detective who drew his gun in frustration at the site of an organized and peaceful snowball fight. Because of his actions, he has been faced with disciplinary action, and could possibly be booked on gun charges.

Snowballs were flying between 14th and U Street in downtown Washington DC when a Hummer drove past. Not exempt from the snowy crossfire, the Hummer was struck a few times with snowballs as it drove by. Almost immediately, a plain clothes Washington DC detective jumped out of his vehicle, drew his gun, and exchanged hostile words with onlookers. Although police initially maintained that the detective did not pull his gun and therefore should not be booked on gun charges, social media sites, videos, and blogs have proven otherwise.

As a result of the detective's actions, he was moved to desk duty. Currently, investigations of the situation are underway. According to DC Assistant Police Chief Pete Newsham, a simple snowball fight is not a sufficient reason for an officer to draw their weapon. Should investigations show that the detective unjustified in bearing his gun, further consequences will await him.

The snowball fight voiced political opinions as well. Although the fight was not an official protest, anti-war signs were present at the fight. The few people who taunted the snowball participants were pelted with snowballs. However, gas guzzling cars such as the Hummer were the most popular target due to opposing political beliefs shared by the participants.

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 Gun Lawyer and Virginia Gun Lawyer web pages.

Practicing criminal defense law in a metropolitan location, it is common that a Washington DC criminal lawyer will represent famous clients when accused of criminal charges. Celebrity cases handled are similar to that of hip-hop recording artist Dwayne Carter Jr., best known as Lil' Wayne, who pled guilty in late October to attempted possession of a weapon in the second degree. He is to serve eight months in prison this year after being convicted of weapons related charges. The rapper, 27, received a minimal sentence, as the maximum sentence for gun charges is up to fifteen years in prison.

After a 2007 performance, law enforcement authorities smelled marijuana from Lil' Wayne's tour bus, and proceeded to investigate. Original drug possession suspicions transformed after investigators located a .40 caliber pistol aboard the tour bus. Felony gun charges were ultimately filed against the recording artist. Originally, Lil' Wayne pled not guilty to gun charges. However, after admissible DNA evidence was found on the pistol, Lil' Wayne opted to take his lawyer's advice and take the plea bargain.

The trial on the gun charges is to begin in January, 2010. If he is found guilty, it could result in a three and a half-year prison sentence. Although Lil' Wayne is to serve eight months in jail, the courts generally take a tough stance on gun charges, regardless of celebrity status. For example, former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress received two years in prison after taking a gun with him into a night club.

Gun charges are not Lil' Wayne's only problems, however. The rapper is also facing trial for felony drug possession charges and gun charges in another state. These charges resulted following another search of Lil' Wayne's tour bus by law enforcement officials. In this particular instance, Lil' Wayne was charged with drug possession of one-hundred-five grams of marijuana, twenty-nine grams of cocaine, forty-one grams of ecstasy, as well as gun charges for unlawful possession of a handgun. Lil' Wayne's criminal justice law attorney reported to Rolling Stone magazine that he was "well-informed throughout, and he made a choice of how he wished to handle the situation. He decided to take responsibility."

Lil' Wayne is currently the second popular hip-hop recording artist to serve time as a result of gun charges. After being sentenced in March 2009, rapper T.I. is currently serving his year-long prison sentence after pleading guilty to gun charges. Furthermore, Lil' Wayne joins the ever-growing group of celebrities that are facing legal repercussions for their actions--whether the charges be gun charges, driving while intoxicated, drug possession, fraud, or a mix of each.

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