Jon Katz, P.C. PROVIDES YEARS OF IN-DEPTH CRIMINAL DEFENSE EXPERIENCE

     Welcome to Jon Katz, P.C.'s Criminal Defense section, led by partner Jon Katz, who has been fighting for criminal defendants since 1991. Jon has defended over 1500 criminal defendants, and has led over one hundred criminal trials to conclusion. (For samples of our criminal trial work, click here). Jon is driven to win, puts our clients ahead of money, and is ever-passionate for our clients and their causes. Jon personally defends every one of our criminal defense clients. The highly regarded Martindale-Hubbell legal directory has given Jon, a rating indicating "very high to preeminent legal ability and very high ethical standards as established by confidential opinions from members of the Bar." 

IF ARRESTED OR SUSPECTED, HIRE A LAWYER

    Criminal defendants all too often have the mistaken belief that they should plead guilty if they in fact committed a crime. However, it is the prosecutor's legal burden to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt that a criminal defendant is guilty. A criminal defendant has no obligation to admit his or her guilt even if guilty. It is not a lie or crime for a person to plead innocent even if the person thinks he or she committed a crime. "Not guilty" or "innocent" are the essential pleas unless and until a criminal defendant determines -- with the informed advice of a highly competent criminal defense attorney -- that it is a wiser risk to do otherwise. Click here for information on Your Rights and the Police 

Jon Katz, P.C.'S APPROACH TO FIGHTING FOR CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS

    A person is rarely in more time of need than when s/he is arrested for or suspected of a jailable crime. We go to the mat for our criminal defense clients, with caring, a passion to win, and with partner Jon Katz's many years of in-depth criminal defense experience. 

    When a client is suspected of a crime, but not yet arrested, we provide our client a full risk analysis, and remind the client not to speak with law enforcement authorities. We try to make the matter go away either by letting it disappear on its own, or by convincing the investigators and prosecutors that their time on the case is not worthwhile or not justified. If a client learns of a pending arrest warrant, we try to get the warrant removed, or else we accompany our client to turn himself or herself in, to then argue for immediate release or for the lowest possible bond. 

    When a client is prosecuted in court, we immediately file a battery of motions and court notices to protect our client's rights, fully investigate the case with our client's input, and fully brainstorm with our client for a winning strategy. We fully prepare our cases to go to trial, assure a full grasp of the governing law, carefully investigate the case, and absorb the evidence (both good and bad) to present our client's case in the most persuasive light. 

    We vigorously argue pretrial motions, fully prepare our clients for court, and go to trial ready to do battle for victory. Because a conviction is always a possible outcome of a criminal case, we fully prepare a careful trial record to make a stronger appeal of any conviction; we fully prepare with our clients to fight for the most favorable sentence in the event of a conviction; and we file and argue well-presented motions for sentence reductions. A conviction does not always need to be final, which is why we seek retrials when advisable, file and argue aggressive appeals, and file and argue vigorous post conviction and habeas corpus petitions. 

    We generally believe that it is best to plead innocent and to go to trial for a case, where the likelihood is limited that a guilty plea will result in a better outcome. Many times, by taking this approach, partner Jon Katz has won trials that seemed to have small chances of winning. 

    Because criminal defense clients have much to lose if found guilty, often they want us to vigorously seek a negotiated resolution of their case. Such negotiations do not always require a guilty plea. Sometimes our aggressive negotiation efforts results in dismissals or inactivation of prosecutions. Sometimes this results in keeping our client out of jail or minimizing our clients' time in jail. Sometimes this results in a conviction to a less serious crime (for instance a conviction for simple drug possession where our client has been charged with drug dealing). In any event, our clients call the shots on negotiations, and we aggressively take their cases to trial when our clients reject the prosecution's final offer to resolve the case. 

Jon Katz, P.C. PROVIDES FULL SERVICE TO NON-CITIZEN CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS

    Many of our criminal defense clients are not United States citizens. For non-citizens, a conviction means not only possible jail time, but can also mean a risk of deportation and denial or delay of adjustment of status. In such situations, our Criminal Defense partner Jon Katz works closely with our Immigration Law partner Jay Marks to fully strategize for, fight for, and advise our non-citizen criminal defense clients. Please click here for further details. 

MEET OUR CRIMINAL DEFENSE PARTNER JON KATZ - Never Prosecuted/Never Will

   Our Criminal Defense partner Jon Katz early on developed a strong bias for the defense side of criminal law. Early on, Jon learned that police and prosecutors have awesome powers that can be used for good but that also can be severely abused. His many years of criminal defense work have proven that all the more. Let us not forget that police abuse has included brutal beatings of civil rights demonstrators in the South, the killing of Amadou Diallo, and the brutal torture of Abner Louima.

    Jon began his criminal defense career in 1991, defending over one thousand indigent criminal defendants with the Maryland Public Defender's Office (1991-96). Jon soon learned that public defender work is one of the highest callings a lawyer can fulfill, if the lawyer is able and dedicated to meet the challenge. The ongoing challenge for public defenders is to eliminate underfunding and insufficient resources. During this time, Jon attended the highly selective two-week National Criminal Defense College (1994), which is the nation's foremost lengthy seminar for criminal defense lawyers. Jon next attended the highly selective Trial Lawyer's College (1995), where he devoted the entire month of August to propelling himself to higher quantum levels as a trial lawyer for justice and for people. 

    Jon rounded out his criminal defense training and experience with outstanding civil litigation experience at two District of Columbia law firms before and after his years as a public defender lawyer (Weiner McCaffrey (1989-91) and Chaikin & Sherman (1996-98)). 

    Jon's aptitude for blue collar criminal cases is strongly rooted in his public defender experience. For white collar criminal cases, Jon offers a combination of strong criminal defense experience and experience working in business and finance (Irving Trust Company, Examiner (1985-86); Chubb Insurance, Insurance Assistant (1994); and Shearson/American Express, Intern to Financial Consultant (1983)).Jon also has significant regulatory experience rooted in his work with a Washington, D.C., corporate and regulatory law firm (associate attorney, 1989-91, and law clerk, 1988-89); and as a law clerk with the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (1987). Jon is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (1991-present) (Advisory Board Member, Champion Magazine (1996-present)), Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys Association, Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Legal Defense Committee, 

    Jon has written extensively on criminal defense and other vital legal topics. See here and here. 

PAYING FOR Jon Katz, P.C.'S SERVICES

    Jon Katz, P.C. strongly believes in charging a fair price for quality criminal defense (click here). 

FOR OUR CRIMINAL LAW NEWS COVERAGE, PLEASE CLICK HERE. 

OUR CRIMINAL DEFENSE-RELATED ARTICLES

Dealing With the Police (see our article on DWI /DUI Defense) (2000)

Driving While Intoxicated Defense (2000)

Drug Law Questions and Answers (2004- ) - Partner Jon Katz's drug law analyses and views in Overgrow.com's Security & Legal forum under the handle liberty4all

Security & Legal forum. Check back frequently.

Fighting for Justice Through Jury Trials (1997)

Frequently Asked Questions About Criminal Defense

How to Pay for a Quality Lawyer (2003)

In Praise of Sunwolf (2004)

Learning From the Trial Lawyer's College (1997)

Jon Katz, P.C. - Lawyers for Sexual Freedom (2002)

Jon Katz, P.C. Wins Dismissal Of Nightclub Prosecution In Maryland's Highest Court (2002)

Jon Katz, P.C.'s Wins for Criminal Defense (Each case is different (e.g., with a different set of facts, law, and adjudicators), and this listing is by no means meant to indicate the results JON KATZ, P.C., will obtain for future clients. Our goal, of course, is for winning advocacy at every turn).

Mounting the Medical Marijuana Defense (October 17, 2003). 

Opposing Embarrassment Sentences (2001)

The Plowshares (2000)

Protecting Immigrants in Criminal Court (2003)

The Sniper Case (2002)

When First Amendment Rights Prevent Criminal Convictions (1985)

Your Rights and the Police 

Being in a legal bind may feel daunting; dealing with your lawyer should not be.

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