Virginia Criminal Defense

criminal_defense2 Being charged with a crime can be an overwhelming experience. From arrest and booking to your final appearance in front of a judge, the experience can be truly terrifying. It helps to have an ally on your side who knows what to expect, who knows the law, and who knows how to fight to get the best outcome possible. The criminal defense lawyers at The Law Offices of Patrick N. Anderson & Associates have just that combination of knowledge and tenacity with 34 years of experience. Unlike some other law firms, we focus on only one discipline of law: criminal law. This gives us and our clients an edge when battling the criminal judicial system.

This experience is important because it gives an attorney an idea of how best to approach your charges. Evidence presented by the prosecution often consists of a mixture of eyewitness testimony, physical evidence, and circumstantial evidence which they may use to attempt to prove your guilt. Rebutting this evidence is vital to keeping a person out of jail. An experienced attorney knows exactly how to examine the evidence, knows experts who can offer their opinion and testimony, and knows a defendant’s chances for success. This experience is invaluable when facing serious charges that can jeopardize your future in its entirety.

Some of our practice areas include the following:

Drug Charges

Possession of a controlled substance can be a very serious charge. Having or being near drugs like marijuana, crystal meth, PCP, cocaine, crack, heroin, and ecstasy can have penalties with life-changing consequences. If you are charged with manufacturing or selling these drugs, you face an even greater threat to your liberty. A skilled criminal defense attorney can fight to get these charges reduced or even thrown out. With twenty-five years of experience, The Law Offices of Patrick N. Anderson & Associates will work tirelessly to keep these charges off your record.

Sexual Offenses

Sexual offenses comprise a broad range of charges in Virginia law, all of them extremely serious. These crimes include the following:

Rape: Forcing another person to engage in an unwanted sexual act or engaging in a sexual act without consent, including sex with a person unable to give consent due to intoxication or impairment, can result in a rape charge. Rape can also be a crime when it happens within a marriage, if the sexual encounter is not consensual.
Sexual assault: Unwanted sexual contact is punished with a sexual assault charge. Depending on the nature of the contact, it may also result in a rape or an assault charge.
Sex Crimes Against Children – Alleged crimes of sexual abuse or sexual assault against a minor are pursued vigorously by prosecutors. Such cases require the expertise of an attorney who regularly represents individuals charged with crimes of this specific nature.
Prostitution: If you offer to, agree to, or engage in sexual relations in exchange for money or payment, unless forced to do so, you can be charged with prostitution. This is a class 1 misdemeanor in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Indecent Exposure: If you willfully and obscenely display your genitals, buttocks, or breasts in the Commonwealth of Virginia, you may be charged with indecent exposure. If you come into contact with the victim while engaging in this unwanted exposure, you may also face the additional crime of sexual assault. This is a Class 1 misdemeanor and can subject you to one year in prison and a $2,500 fine.

Sexual offense cases are extremely complex and involve many factors. Additionally, a conviction can carry with it a stigma that lasts a lifetime. Therefore a person charged with a sexual offense should contact an experienced attorney immediately.

At The Law Offices of Patrick N. Anderson & Associates, we work with a team of experts to understand and best plan your defense. We will be sympathetic and compassionate so you can speak openly with us.

Juvenile Crimes

In Virginia, anyone under the age of eighteen can be charged as a juvenile. However, for serious charges, they may be tried as an adult. Juvenile crimes are handled in the juvenile court in front of a judge who will adjudicate guilt and punishment. Because they are handled differently than adults, juveniles require attorneys knowledgeable in the juvenile justice system. Our attorneys have experience handling these cases and will work to keep the juvenile out of detention and on their way to becoming productive adults.

DWI/DUI Offenses

If you are impaired behind the wheel of a car, you will be charged with a very serious crime: driving while intoxicated. Whether under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs, or prescription drugs, the Commonwealth of Virginia will make you face serious consequences if you are unfit to drive a vehicle. If this is not your first offense or if your impaired driving caused injury or death, you need to contact a DWI attorney immediately. They will work to keep these penalties off your record, get your driver’s license back, and allow you to get on with your life.

Other Alcohol-Related Offenses

Alcohol is prevalent in society, but if a person gets drunk in public they can be charged with a crime. If you are charged with being drunk in public, you will face a class 4 misdemeanor. A separate but related charge, disorderly conduct, is a class 1 misdemeanor. These charges are serious and require attorneys experienced in handling alcohol-related offenses. At The Law Offices of Patrick N. Anderson & Associates, we have successfully defended many clients charged with these types of crimes. We provide legal representation in the following alcohol-related areas:

Crimes Against Children

Crimes against children are dealt with very severely in Virginia. At The Law Offices of Patrick N. Anderson & Associates, your case is handled with the utmost care and compassion it deserves. We have twenty-five years of experience to help you with any of the following crimes against children:

Child Abuse: If you are found to engage in cruelty or neglect to a child, you may face child abuse charges in Virginia. Depending on the severity of the circumstances, you may be charged with a class 4 felony, which can result in ten years in jail and a $100,000 fine.
Child Pornography: If you produce, possess, or distribute lewd or explicit images of a minor, you may face child pornography charges. For a first-time offense, this is a class 6 felony in Virginia that may result in five years in prison and a $2,500 fine. If you have a previous conviction, the charges may be a class 5 felony. If you are found to run a website that profits from the exploitation of children you may face a class 4 felony.
Computer Solicitation of a Child: If you are charged with using sites like Facebook, Twitter, Vine, or Instagram to solicit a child for sexual activity (or anyone who represents themselves as being under the age of eighteen), you may face charges of computer solicitation of a child. The severity of these charges depends on the nature of the solicitation and any explicit material that may be sent to the minor.

At The Law Offices of Patrick N. Anderson & Associates, we work tirelessly on your behalf. The serious nature of these crimes requires an attorney with experience handling such cases. Contact The Law Offices of Patrick N. Anderson today for a free case evaluation from an experienced attorney.

Property Crimes

Property crimes are unique because the victim is often more vocal and active throughout the course of the case. This additional element makes the evidence against the defendant more concrete. It also makes chances of negotiating with the Commonwealth’s Attorney more difficult. If you or a loved one has been charged with a property crime, you need a lawyer who understands the differences between handling property crimes and handling other criminal charges.

Arson: Intentionally or recklessly setting fire to any structure, woods, grass, fences, or anything capable of spreading fire can result in arson charges.
Burglary: If you enter into a person’s home illegally with the intent to commit a crime, you can be found guilty of burglary. This is a class 3 felony that can carry up to twenty years in prison. If a deadly weapon was used during this crime, the charges will be raised to a class 2 felony.
Computer Crimes: If you use a computer to access private information, commit fraud, interfere with another’s network, or any other nefarious activity involving a computer, you can be charged with a computer related crime. At The Law Offices of Patrick N. Anderson & Associates, our attorneys have extensive knowledge of all networking protocol layers, software and tool design and usage, social media-related crimes, fundamentals of computer science, and much more. This gives us an edge in identifying and evaluating relevant evidence in these cases.
Credit Card Theft and Forgery: Illegally obtaining, using, buying, or selling another person’s credit card information or using a credit card knowing that it is expired or revoked can result in criminal charges. These charges can result in significant jail time and fines depending on the nature of the crime.
Identity Theft: Obtaining a person’s private financial information, including his or her social security number, bank account number, password, fingerprint information, electronic signature, or other private identifier can result in identity theft charges. These charges often accompany computer crime charges, but one can also be charged by stealing a person’s wallet, purse, or credit card.

These charges can be complicated. You need an attorney that will fight for you and fight for your freedom. At The Law Offices of Patrick N. Anderson & Associates, we have defended many clients charged with property crimes and know how to defend them successfully.

Virginia Traffic Offenses

Being charged with a traffic offense can be a hassle. Depending on the nature of the offense, points may be assessed to your license and your insurance rates may go up. Because these charges can become very expensive, you need to find a lawyer who will get these charges reduced or thrown out. This can take points off your license and keep you from having your license suspended or revoked. We provide legal expertise in all traffic offenses, particularly the following:

Violent Crimes

Being charged with a violent crime is a serious threat to your freedom. These include the following:

Murder/Manslaughter: If you take another person’s life, you will be charged with murder or manslaughter. The severity of the charges will be determined by whether it was intentional or unintentional, whether your actions came from malice aforethought or in the heat of passion, and other factors involving intent. No matter what the charge, these crimes are extremely serious and require an attorney right away.
Assault and Battery: Assault is the intentional creation of a reasonable apprehension in the mind of the victim of imminent bodily harm. Brandishing a firearm, for instance, is assault. Battery is intentional contact with the victim with the intent to either injure or offensively contact. These crimes are very serious and can result in significant jail time.
Carjacking: if you take another’s vehicle using threats or force, you can be charged with carjacking. Depending on the circumstances, you can face fifteen years to life in prison.
Kidnapping: Taking a person from one place to another by force or confining a person against their will can result in kidnapping charges. This can also occur if a non-custodial parent takes a child from a custodial parent.
Robbery and Theft: Theft is the intentional act of taking something that is not yours. Robbery is a threat of violence while committing theft. These charges are very serious and can result in significant jail time, especially if you have a previous felony conviction.
Malicious Wounding: If you shoot, stab, or otherwise intentionally injure another person, you can face charges of malicious wounding. These charges carry stiff penalties that depend on the exact nature of the crime.

These charges require an attorney well-versed in handling violent crimes. Because the penalties for these crimes range from probation to capital punishment, you need the best legal representation possible. With twenty-five years of successfully defending clients accused of violent crimes, the attorneys at The Law Offices of Patrick N. Anderson & Associates will fight for your freedom.

White Collar Crimes

Being charged with a white collar crime can have a serious impact on your freedom as well as your career. If you are convicted of these crimes, it may prevent you from working professionally ever again. These charges can include bribery, embezzlement, forgery, perjury, money laundering, and extortion. These crimes often require significant paperwork to prove and defend. They require thorough, detail-oriented attorneys who have the tenacity to successfully defend you or your loved one from these types of charge. Some of the white collar crimes we can assist with include the following:

Federal Crimes in the Commonwealth of Virginia

Being charged in federal court is a very serious matter. Because the federal government has such a high conviction rate, these charges require attorneys who know the intricacies of federal law. Because these crimes often involve interstate issues, these charges can be very complicated and involve several jurisdictions. The Law Offices of Patrick N. Anderson & Associates has experience defending clients in federal court and know what to expect from these proceedings. If you have been charged with a federal crime, you need to contact us right away.

Other Offenses and Violations

Some crimes may enhance the penalties of many of the charges above. Crimes such as aiding and abetting, conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, or stalking carry divergent penalties depending on the nature of the crime. Because these charges often accompany other charges, it is vital to find a defense attorney who will defend your case as a whole and mitigate the threat from these secondary charges. The Law Offices of Patrick N. Anderson & Associates will ensure that these other offenses are defended against to preserve your liberty. Here are other areas of legal representation that we provide: