Criminal Law

Stein Sperling’s criminal law attorneys are aggressive advocates for clients facing serious criminal charges. We provide statewide representation for adults and juveniles who have been charged with crimes ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. Our combined experience extends over 70 years arguing high-profile cases in state and federal criminal courts. This includes representing minors before juvenile courts and juvenile authorities.

We have a depth of experience representing clients charged with felony crimes against persons, including murder, rape, manslaughter or robbery, as well as those charged with felony crimes against property, including larceny, arson and burglary. Stein Sperling’s criminal law team also regularly defends clients charged with misdemeanor crimes such as simple assault, theft, trespassing, destruction of property, conspiracy, perjury, professional misconduct (by public officials) and disorderly conduct, including resisting arrest. In addition, our attorneys have defended clients charged with sexual offenses, including child abuse and child pornography.

Because serious criminal charges can have devastating short- and long-term effects on a person, as well as his or her family, we apply a depth of experience and discretion to every phase of each criminal matter we handle. Our attorneys help ensure that clients understand their rights and receive every possible protection available under the law. We have experience pursuing expungement and coram nobis on behalf of clients seeking to purge their records of past charges.

Stein Sperling’s criminal law attorneys regularly defend clients who face drug charges related to distribution, sale, use or possession of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, crystal meth, ecstasy, prescription drugs and others. Because of our experience in this area of law, we are able to advise clients on all facets of their cases, including issues of unreasonable search and seizure. Our goal is to work closely with our clients, helping them understand the allegations and the evidence in their cases, and developing strategies that lead to the best possible outcomes for them and their families.

Whether our clients are facing charges related to the distribution and sale of illicit substances, the use or possession of drugs or related paraphernalia, or other misconduct, we aggressively defend their rights. As former state prosecutors, our department’s leadership can often anticipate strategies used by current prosecutors and law enforcement in clients’ cases. This allows us to proactively address issues of defense, rehabilitation and mitigation of sentencing.

Some of the most serious traffic offenses we handle for clients on a regular basis are Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), auto manslaughter and hit and run, all of which carry jail penalties. Being charged with these offenses is a life-changing event with far-reaching consequences for our client and his or her family, including incarceration, loss of driving privileges or even loss of employment. We assist clients in both the criminal and administrative aspects of their cases. We aggressively pursue all available defenses, working closely with our clients to formulate strategies to eliminate or reduce jail time or other punitive actions against our clients while also increasing the likelihood MVA will not revoke or suspend their driving privileges. For these matters and others that are not incarcerable (e.g., reckless driving, negligent driving), our goal is to keep clients informed about the status of their cases during every step of the process, and aggressively defend their rights.

Stein Sperling’s criminal law department regularly represents clients charged with traffic offenses in District Court as well as in hearings before the Maryland Vehicle Administration (MVA). Each of these cases involves a careful evaluation of the evidence and facts available, including witness testimony, police reports and surveillance by traffic cameras where available, as well as breathalyzer, urinalysis and blood test results. Our attorneys rely on a network of external experts who testify as to vehicle speeds and road conditions on our clients’ behalf.

Stein Sperling’s team of criminal law attorneys assists clients charged with financial crimes, including tax evasion, embezzlement and fraud, as well as computer and internet crimes. These cases are often highly complex, involving numerous witnesses and financial documents. Our clients in these cases range from corporate CEOs to management-level or support staff employees. Regardless of the charges our clients face in white collar matters, we aggressively defend their rights and work closely with each client to formulate strategies to effectively present his or her case to the prosecution or the court. Our goal is to minimize any negative impact these charges can have on family and professional relationships.

Our attorneys also have a depth of experience representing clients in state and federal grand jury proceedings. If a state or federal grand jury subpoenas our client, we do our best to determine the reason he or she has been called, usually as either a target or a witness, and advise the client accordingly. This may mean counseling them to invoke their Fifth Amendment rights or seek immunity based on their testimony. In every case, we use our team’s extensive prosecutorial experience to evaluate potential risks and benefits to our clients’ participation in grand jury proceedings.

Stein Sperling’s criminal law department is adept at handling sensitive domestic violence cases where another party makes false allegations against our client. Facing charges of domestic battery, stalking or harassment, our skilled attorneys can assist in evaluating the allegations presented by the accuser and aggressively defend our clients’ rights, including the right to a fair trial. Elsewhere, we have a depth of experience defending clients on the receiving end of restraining orders and peace orders.

As is true in criminal matters, defending clients in domestic violence cases requires pursuing a depth of understanding of their personal circumstances and relationships. These matters also demand counsel by knowledgeable attorneys whose experience is especially relevant for establishing case facts related to physical and forensic evidence, as well as witness testimony. Our attorneys regularly provide such counsel to clients facing domestic violence charges, involving them in the development of case strategies as their cases evolve.

Stein Sperling’s criminal law team understands that allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct have been on the rise, especially as they relate to contact with minors. State and federal authorities aggressively prosecute these crimes, so defending such charges requires aggressive representation by an experienced and knowledgeable attorney.

Our attorneys handle cases for clients who have been wrongfully accused of committing sex crimes, including rape, molestation, child sexual abuse, child pornography and lewd conduct. Often, these charges are used or misused for the purposes of revenge or retribution, which can be motivated by conflict within married, non-married, divorced and separated couples, as well as between estranged family members. Regardless of the allegations against our clients, we address issues of consent, tainted or insufficient evidence and mistaken identity.

Stein Sperling’s criminal law attorneys understand that judges and juries might render a result that is not favorable to our client. We litigate criminal appeals from verdicts handed down in our clients’ cases, as well as in cases first defended by other attorneys where a client asks us to take over the case to pursue an appeal. When appropriate, we are always prepared to write motions for sentence reconsideration, as well as guilt or innocence appeals, for District and Circuit Courts throughout the state.

Before beginning the appeals process, we review the trial record to locate mistakes and errors in how the proceedings were conducted. We then work closely with our clients to draft thorough, compelling and properly written appellate briefs, knowing we may have only one opportunity to appeal the court’s decision. In oral arguments, our clients benefit from our attorneys’ extensive experience in bench and jury trials, as well as their ability to present logical, well-prepared and evidence-based claims both creatively and strategically.

Stein Sperling’s criminal attorneys understand that losing a license to drive or practice one’s profession is one of the harshest penalties a person can suffer short of going to jail. It can put an individual or family at risk for financial ruin.

Our attorneys regularly assist clients in administrative hearings before the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA), reducing civil penalties for DUI/DWI and other traffic offenses. These penalties can include the accumulation of points on a person’s license as well as short- and long-term suspension of his or her license.

We represent clients in administrative and disciplinary hearings, defending them against charges of professional misconduct or malpractice. We have defended professionals, including physicians, dentists, nurses and mental health professionals, before state licensing boards and ethics committees.