JON KATZ, P.C.
Attorney at Law
FIGHTING
FOR JUSTICE THROUGHOUT
HIGHLY-RATED CRIMINAL DEFENSE / DRUNK DRIVING LAWYER /DRUG DEFENSE LAWYER
17 YEARS FIGHTING TIRELESSLY FOR VICTORY FOR CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS
MAIN OFFICE - SILVER SPRING, MD: JON KATZ, P.C., 8720 Georgia Avenue, Suite 703, Silver Spring, Montgomery County, MD 20910,
(301) 495-7755/FAX (301) 585-7733
, jon[at]katzjustice[dot]com
VIRGINIA BRANCH OFFICE: Jon Katz, P.C., 1420 Spring Hill Road, Suite 600, Tysons Corner/ McLean, Fairfax County, Virginia 22102, (703) 917-6626.
HIGHLY-RATED LAWYER, ONE MILE FROM THE NATION'S CAPITAL
JON KATZ IS HIGHLY-RATED THROUGH PEER REVIEWS AND AVVO.COM CLIENT RATINGS, AND
IS REPEATEDLY CONSULTED BY THE NEWS MEDIA:
- AV-RATED by MARTINDALE-HUBBELL LAWYERS DIRECTORY
- WASHINGTONIAN MAGAZINE'S TOP 800 LAWYERS
- SUPER
LAWYERS-LISTED
-
- BAR REGISTER-listed (Criminal Trial and White Collar Crime)
- NATIONALLY-RECOGNIZED BY MAJOR MEDIA:
- CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER (All Felonies, Misdemeanors, Drunk Driving, Marijuana and all other drugs)
- DRUNK DRIVING LAWYER / DUI / DWI / CRIMINAL TRAFFIC / DRUGGED DRIVING
- STUDENT RIGHTS /STUDENT DISCIPLINARY DEFENSE LAWYER
- CONSTITUTIONAL & FIRST AMENDMENT DEFENSE LAWYER
Practicing Criminal Defense and Drunk Driving/ DUI/ DWI throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, including the state and federal courts in Montgomery County (Rockville and Silver Spring), Fairfax County, Northern Virginia, Arlington County, Alexandria, Prince George's County (Upper Marlboro, Hyattsville, Greenbelt, and Andrews Air Force Base), Howard County (Ellicott City), Frederick County, Anne Arundel County (Annapolis, Glen Burnie, Ft. Meade), Baltimore City, Baltimore County (Towson, Catonsville, Essex), Washington County (Hagerstown), Prince William County (Manassas), and Loudoun County (Leesburg).
"Jon Katz is the greatest lawyer on the face of the planet. I say so because he dealt with not only my criminal case, but my rattled emotional state of mind as well. Without his guidance and brilliance I don't know what would've happened. I highly recommend Mr. Katz, and if I ever make the mistake of getting arrested again he will be the first person I call." (From a criminal defense client.)
"Jon, you are the best attorney in the world as far as I'm concerned. Thanks again for your work on my behalf and your optimistic energy." (From a criminal defense client).
See more client testimonials here and AVVO.com reviews here.
ARTICLES
Criminal Defense of Immigrants and Expatriates (2005)
Driving While Intoxicated Defense (2002)
Published in Summer 2002 newsletter of Criminal Law Section of Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
Drug Law Questions and Answers (2004-05 )
Partner Jon Katz's drug law analyses and views in Overgrow.com's Security & Legal forum. Check back frequently.
Frequently Asked Questions (continuously updated)
Marks & Katz Wins for Justice In The Maryland Court of Appeals (2002)
The case is Maryland v. Taylor, et al., 371 Md. 617, 810 A.2d 964 (2002).
Mounting the Medical Marijuana Defense (October 17, 2003)
Published in October 2003 newsletter of the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys Association.
Multilingual Lawyers (November 2005)
Of Snipers and Justice (October 2002)
Click here for summary of Marks & Katz's television news commentary on the sniper case.
Opposing Embarrassment Sentences (November 2001)
Opposing Unjust Prosecutions of Political Speech - Marks & Katz's pro bono amicus brief for the DC National Lawyers Guild chapter, in Sassower v. U.S. (January 2006)
Opposing Unnecessary Fattening of the Criminal Code (March 2006)
The Plowshares and Tribute to Phil Berrigan (2000 and 2002, respectively)
Protecting Immigrants in Criminal Court (2003)
Published in October 2003 newsletter of the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys Association and March 2004 Champion newsletter of the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Reckless Driving - Caveat Emptor (2006)
Underdog Blog (2006-present)
When First Amendment Rights Prevent Criminal Convictions (1995)
Published in The Champion (monthly magazine of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers), November 1995, Vol. 19, page 44.
Your Rights and the Police (March 2004)
¤FIRST AMENDMENT AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEFENSE
Can the CAN-SPAM Law (2004)
Defending Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (2002)
Defending Free Expression and Activists (2002)
Published in the Trial Lawyer's College's Fall 2002 Warrior magazine.
Fighting Censorship With The Pen (2003)
Fighting for Constitutional Rights (August 2003)
The First Amendment and Adult Retailers (2001; updated in 2002)
The Former Spouse Protection Act: A Bad Law For Veterans
Published in Army Times (Dec. 1, 2003).
Irony: Alleged Spammers Sue Anti-Spammers for Libel (June 2003)
Published in June 2003 Media Law Letter (p. 70) of the Media Law Resource Center.
Lawyers for Internet Freedom (August 2003)
See our article published in August 2003 Media Law Letter of the Media Law Resource Center.
Marks & Katz - Fighting Libel Cases (March 2006)
Marks & Katz Fights for Prison Officer Fired for Posing Nude (September 2003)
Marks & Katz's Joint Appellate Amicus Brief Advances Winning First Amendment Argument (September 2003)
The case is Pack Shack v. Howard County, Maryland, 377 Md. 55, 832 A.2d 170 (2003).
Marks & Katz - Lawyers for Sexual Freedom (2002)
Marks & Katz LLC - Media Lawyers (October 2003)
See our article published in October 2003 Media Law Letter of the Media Law Resource Center
Marks & Katz Wins for the First Amendment in Baltimore (March 2003)
On War and Justice (October 2001)
Published in Trial Lawyer's College's Warrior newsletter (October 2001 special edition).
Opposing DC Anti-Runner Legislation (February 2006)
Pack Shack Appeal - First Amendment Brief (October 2001)
Pack Shack Press Release (November 2001)
Protecting The First Amendment On The Internet (December 2000)
Published in Adult Video News (January, 2001).
Pushing for Constitutional Rights in the Military (July 1, 2004)
Students' Rights are Not for Sale (2001)
Published in the former Multicultural News.com.
Supporting the Free Speech Coalition (May 2001)
Appeared in Inside Adult and LukeFord.com (May 17, 2001)
Vindicating Free Expression Rights Through State Constitutions (December 2002)
Webmastering (March 2003)
Published in YNOTNews on March 13, 2003.
Zoning and Secondary Effects (2001; updated September 2003)
¤ TRIAL LAW
Electronic Case Filing (2003)
Fighting for Justice Through Jury Trials (1997)
Published in Vox Populi (1997), the newsletter of the Philippine American Bar Association.
Great Lawyers and Friends for Justice (2002)
In Praise of Sunwolf (2004)
Learning From the Trial Lawyers College (1997)
Published in Vox Populi (1997), the newsletter of the Philippine American Bar Association.
Leveling the Playing Field of Defense Medical Examinations (February 2004)
Marks & Katz's Wins for Justice (continuously updated). 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 Marks & Katz, LLC, will obtain for future clients. Our goal, of course, is for winning advocacy at every turn.
Powerful Lawyering Through Fearlessness And Peacefulness (2001)
Published in Trial Lawyer's College's Warrior newsletter (1997), and in the magazine of the International Alliance of Holistic Lawyers (2001).
Tribute to John Johnson (August 2004)
¤ MISCELLANEOUS
Bilingual Lawyers (2003)
French-Speaking Lawyer / Un Avocat Parlant Français Couramment (2003)
How to Pay for a Quality Lawyer (2003)
Jon Katz - Radical Lawyer in a Suit (2005)
Jay Marks - Legal Acumen Bolstered by Human Excellence (2001)
Justice Blog (Ongoing, since 2006)
Legal Times Covers the Essence of Marks & Katz (2003)
Marks & Katz's full-page interview in Washington Legal Times (August 25, 2003)
UNDERDOG BLOG CATEGORIES
THE CONSTITUTION AND BILL OF RIGHTS
FIRST AMENDMENT AND CRIMINAL LAW
THE CONSTITUTION AND BILL OF RIGHTS
October 13: The U.S. military signals military criminal defense lawyers to pretend to defend.
October 6: If Molly Ivins can laugh in the face of oppression, so can I.
October 5: Why did Justice Scalia say "Nobody thinks your client is really ... abstaining from tequila down in Mexico because he is on supervised release in the United States"?
October 5: See this waterboarding video -- If this is not torture, what is?
October 3: Twenty-two states that do not ban corporal punishment in schools: Leaving 28 desirable states to live in.
September 27: The gap between indigent criminal defense systems that are well funded and resourced, and poorly funded and resource / What about defendants who barely miss qualifying for indigent defense?
September 25: Tell your House members to guarantee habeas corpus rights to alleged enemy combatants.
September 25: Maher Arar: A Canadian citizen is "rendered" to Syria after detention at JFK Airport, tortured, and then told it was all a mistake.
September 25: Trouble in the empire state: Too many New York municipal "justice court" judges run roughshod over justice.
September 20: Preserve the writ of habeas corpus for all.
September 20: A bad civics lesson: House passes student search bill.
September 10: Of Lonny Baxter, gun laws, and the Potomac divide.
September 8: When Miranda comes to the rescue; and when it does not.
August 15: How does a minority defendant feel walking into a courthouse with a confederate soldier out front? What does this say to a racist juror instructed to set aside prejudice?
August 13: Car passengers can have standing to challenge car stop and search.
July 27: "But they didn't read me my rights" - When Ernesto Miranda applies little more than Carmen Miranda.
July 14: The Constitution is violated to criminalize female toplessness.
July 3: Rainbow Gathering defendants are being denied Sixth Amendment right to public trial.
June 30: Supreme Court's rejection of Guantanamo military commissions highlights danger to everyone's Constitutional
rights .
June 29: Supreme Court rejects Guantanamo military commissions.
June 27: Supreme Court upholds the right to hire counsel of one's choice.
June 20: Supreme Court returns to Washington to figure out definition of "testimonial" communication, but opens a can of worms with 911 calls.
June 15: Sending Hudson down the river: Further supporting the reasons for having feared the confirmations of Justices Roberts and Alito.
June 6: Not a consensual encounter, so Swift justifiably gets away.
May 26: Judge recognizes multiple injustices inflicted on defendants jailed for pending criminal cases.
May 24: When court personnel and lawyers guffaw about scared criminal defendants.
May 22: The bigger they come...? William Jefferson's ordeal highlights the necessity of Constitutional protection for all.
May 31: Attenuated justice: The attenuation doctrine encourages illegal detentions.
May 25: Stale-dated basis for search warrant may not be corrected as a typographical error.
May 12: The Bush Administration: Giving the Fourth Amendment as much respect as toilet paper.
May 7: The Bush administration's denial of basic trial rights to Guantanamo inmates.
May 16: Trial judges cannot exclude witnesses on mere anticipation of inadmissible testimony.
May 2: The Supreme Court unanimously reverses South Carolina for denial of right to present an effective defense.
April 27: Your double jeopardy rights - diminished by the unjust separate sovereign doctrine.
April 26: Increase pay for indigent criminal defendants' court-appointed counsel.
April 25: The Supreme Court Bars "Consent" Searches When a Co-Occupant Objects.
April 10: Ramiro Games's tragedy points to the critical need to better protect the accused.
October 12: When police troll for pedestrians smelling of alcohol.
October 1: Iraq's new government: Taking press censorship cues from Saddam Hussein's regime.
August 23: Should judge get four years for indecent exposure? What recourse is available to the parties who appeared before him?
July 28: Pathetic juxtaposition: DC curfew law tightened after Second District Commander asserts " black people are unusual in Georgetown."
July 14: Indecent exposure: Prohibiting guests from exposing themselves in Maryland homes
July 10: Turning the undefinable into a parole condition: Second Circuit upholds parole revocation for possessing pornography.
May 14: Know before you go: Places where speeding can lead to jail.
September 22: Overcover risk at the Supreme Court.
September 19: U.S. war prisons: All inmates must receive humane treatment, access to quality defense. and quality tax-paid defense lawyers.
September 15: Overseas crimes do not shield Americans from prosecution in the United States; sending spam from Oshkosh to AOL subscribers does not prevent prosecution in Virginia.
July 24: Virginia -- The land that turned its back on Jencks.
July 11: Sexually explicit PDA contents are not automatically admissible at trial for seeking sex with a minor.
July 2: The garbage bags in your driveway: Fodder for vulture cops.
June 26: Will the Supreme Court in the future have juries determine the existence of prior convictions for enhanced sentences?
June 25: When plea agreements lack sufficient specificity, the federal appellate courts may remand.
June 21: If judges would only walk for a day in a parolee's shoes: Supreme Court allows groundless searches of parolees.
June 18: Maryland District Court commissioners wield too much power.
June 11: Beyond the Sixth Amendment's speedy trial right: Dismissing federal prosecutions for running afoul of the Speedy Trial Act's seventy-day rule.
October 4: Talking about Mark Foley: Marks & Katz gives the radio audience a criminal defense perspective.
August 7: U.S. Senate ratifies the Cybercrime Treaty.
July 17: MySpace.com: As confidential as the yellow pages.
July 13: Let's shoot craps, and stop prohibition of online gambling.
July 21: Chilling interview with your friendly, neighborhood, death chamber nurse.
June 19: Virginia's Supreme Court orders new capital sentencing trial where the defense claims mental retardation.
May 11: Earl Washington Jr's coerced confession and wrongful banishment to death row.
May 5: Some Moussaoui jurors questioned whether "the death penalty is really an appropriate punishment for lying,"
May 3: The jury system worked today, with Zacarias Moussaoui being spared execution.
April 24: Zacarias Moussaoui's Case - A bad basis for expanding the death penalty.
December 3, 2006: Winning a medical marijuana sentencing defense.
October 9: Marijuana- Effective medicine for Alzheimer's disease and much more.
October 6: Kudos for a unanimous Supreme Court affirmance of injunction protecting sacramental use of a tea containing a hallucinogen.
September 21: Only a handful of people receive federally-provided medical marijuana.
September 21: Hemp for Victory.
September 12: Here a program; there a program; everywhere a program-program.
September 7: Waiting to Inhale - The medical marijuana debate.
September 6: Drugs and war
July 30: The drug wars: Just say know.
July 9: Marijuana: Of opportunistic cops and misguided smokers.
June 12: Orlando federal judge criticizes the 100:1 cocaine base:powder cocaine sentencing disparity.
May 28: Another reason for legalizing marijuana: UCLA study finds no lung cancer risk.
May 10: North Dakota welcomes industrial hemp production, if only the feds would back off.
May 5: Mexican President backpeddles on permitting possession of small amounts of drugs.
May 3: Mexican government recognizes the benefit of leaving alone users of small amounts of illegal drugs.
April 28: Medical marijuana grower Ed Rosenthal gets retrial.
September 13: Sanctions for refusing a blood alcohol test.
September 1: The government's draconian weight in drunk driving cases.
August 2: Mad Mel: Beyond the hateful words
June 7: Washington, DC's DWI zero tolerance: As broken as ten months ago during Debra Bolton's arrest for drinking a glass of wine.
FIRST AMENDMENT AND CRIMINAL LAW
October 11: Mask crime laws: A lump of coal in the First Amendment's eye.
October 9: Secret Service arrests man who tells Cheney "I think your policies in Iraq are reprehensible."
September 29: George Bush's Injustice Department - Returning to the dark ages of obscenity prosecutions for the written word.
September 26: Walking in Voltaire's shoes, Marks & Katz files motion to dismiss libel suit against Westboro Baptist Church.
September 15: Girls Gone Wild prosecution: More injustice from your tax-paid Justice Department.
September 3: Criminalizing leaf-rustling: Hunter harassment laws.
August 30: Consistently opposed to libel laws, Marks & Katz defends libel suit against Westboro Baptist Church / Appears on TV.
August 28: Another backdoor First Amendment violation: 18 U.S.C. § 2257.
August 27: Minor hauled to court for allegedly saying "meow".
August 11: The Bush Administration tries to intimidate future Daniel Ellsbergs, Deep Throats, and journalists who would print their disclosures.
June
28: Marks & Katz
appears on Free Speech
Radio News, supporting the New York Times's right to report on the SWIFT
program.
June 23: Hopefully, Betsy Ross rolls in her grave - Contact your Senators and Congress members to vote against the flag desecration Constitutional amendment.
June 22: On Wenyi Wang's behalf, Marks & Katz asks the White House for the name of the Chinese television cameraman who restrained her.
June 8: Wenyi Wang's prosecution: Update on the Bush administration's mirroring of China's flagrant violations of free speech rights.
May 30: The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision against whistleblowers - premonition of things to come.
May 1: Criminal libel laws are still on the books, and should be struck down as unconstitutional.
April 24: Wenyi Wang's prosecution is unconstitutional.
September 1: A mentor leaves the planet: James Vance Elliott -- a giant without an ego.
August 24: John Johnson: As alive as ever.
July 18: Tony Serra: Speeding past Porsche-driving lawyers.
July 19: Daniel Schorr and Frank Zappa - Inspirations for excellence, for standing up to abuse of power, and against complacency.
July 7: The amazing Sunwolf presents Jury Talk DVD.
June 4: After defending a drunk driving client, meeting up with a tax resister.
May 18: In praise of lawyer Rex B. Wingerter.
May 4: A man appears, pours day-old coffee, and the tension magically disappears.
April 30: Mourning the passing of Bob Ritchie.
April 20: Honoring Native American rights on the last day of the Sacred Run.
September 5: Identity theft will decline if TINs replace SSNs for identity.
August 25: Jay Marks's battles for justice.
June 5: Dunkin' Donuts and 6,200 other companies: Unnecessarily going beyond the federal employment verification laws.
September 24: More on Senator George Allen's macaca-gate.
August 20: George Allen: Meet Andrew Young and Mel Gibson / Update on macaca-gate.
August 15: Virginia Senator George Allen demeaningly calls Indian-American man "macaca".
August 16: Marks & Katz is eight-years-old this week!
July 20: The National Lawyers Guild - Should I stay or should I go now? Part II.
June 9: George Bush: Protecting the rights of the rich over the rights of everyone.
May 19: The National Lawyers Guild - Should I stay or should I go now?
October 10: Juror misconduct: How common? How to minimize the potential damage?
September 29: Know the jury: Views from Sunwolf and Windypundit.
September 20: Know your judge and jury; who's your judge and jury?
September 11: Pretrial preparation starts with jury instructions, Rench's idea book, closing argument, and the jury.
August 15: Venire jury members, be truthful; any other approach can mean a retrial.
August 8: Don't let a Virginia jury convict, because next the jury fixes the sentence.
August 4: Loving jurors rather than fearing them.
July 25: When is a federal judge more acquittal-prone than a jury?
July 23: Integrating heart, preparation, technique and experience for trial victory.
July 16: Reasonable doubt: The bedrock of a criminal trial.
June 14: Bridging the gap between trial lawyer colleges and judges' limits: First person opening, cross-examining without question marks, and jury voir dire.
May 30: Federal courts face high hurdle to reduce a criminal jury below twelve members.
May 29: The prosecutor alone has the burden to prove a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
May 23: Eyewitness identification: The source of too many wrongful convictions.
May 5: Gutting the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of a jury trial for "petty offenses."
May 3: 35 hours of deliberation and counting: Let the Moussaoui jurors take all the time they need.
April 30: Under Attack - The Constitutional right to a vigorous criminal defense and to a jury trial.
August 3: Marks & Katz on the airwaves - Speaking out for justice.
July 23: Beyond the Underdog Blog - See markskatz.com.
July 31: Getting to "yes" with prosecutors.
October 9: Secret Service arrests man who tells Cheney "I think your policies in Iraq are reprehensible."
August 29: Will cops harvest a bumper crop of confessions post-John Karr?
August 16: Some good suppression cases, the Busted video, and Virginia's malfeasance statute.
August 1: Know means know: Your rights dealing with the police.
July 5: St. Tammany Parish, LA, sheriff gives green light to harass people wearing dreadlocks, and advocates ejecting criminal defense lawyers on a rail.
June 16: Watch this video showing police brutalizing a prosecutor's daughter; then ask how on earth Justice Scalia can claim that increased police professionalism justifies weakening the exclusionary rule. Plus, my own encounter with Justice Scalia.
June 2: The police and I.
May 15: Detroit police to videotape interviews of suspects exposed to life without parole.
April 26: The New York ACLU goes to court against heavy-handed policing against teachers.
April 25: Austin police institute safeguards for "consent" searches.
August 14: Prison censorship; prison rape.
June 1: My time in jails; my time in court.
September 29: "So, what's your relationship with the prosecutors?"
September 18: When criminal defense lawyers are asked to assist the prosecution role.
September 9: Why prosecute?
August 21: Three prosecutor blogs found: Know the Opposition.
August 9: Gansler campaign signs come tumbling down.
July 26: A prosecutor in our midst - Eschewing State's Attorney Gansler's presence in our building and on our landlord's lawn.
October 8: Do music and art make one a better lawyer?
October 8: Does humor make one a better lawyer?
October 8: Does hugging make one a better lawyer?
October 1: Death threats against judge's rejection of intelligent design curriculum: Non-violent dissent is key.
September 28: When clients speak in court.
September 17: The need for criminal defense lawyers to love their clients, listen to them, know them, build trust with them, walk in their shoes, and sit alongside them.
September 15: Overseas crimes do not shield Americans from prosecution in the United States; sending spam from Oshkosh to AOL subscribers does not prevent prosecution in Virginia.
September 14: To open or not to open at bench trials.
September 4: Steve Irwin: Exemplified fearless living.
August 31: Never give up. Never give in.
August 22: Comparisons and contrasts on the criminal law systems in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and federal courts.
August 21: Virginia criminal defendants: Know your rights / Reverse Virginia's pitiful pay for court-appointed counsel.
August 18: Having fun while fighting the powers that be.
August 17: Doing t'ai chi with my opponents.
August 10: Marks & Katz wins acquittal for client caught red-handed with a handgun at airport baggage scanning, using basic trial outline.
August 6: Maryland and Virginia District Court: Bench trials, appeals, and withdrawal of appeals.
July 12: How to deal with difficult judges?
July 6: When the judge is your jury: Fighting for justice in misdemeanor court.
June 13: Engaging in battle without anger.
June 9: Not guilty - a phrase too many criminal defendants fear.
May 21: The power of peaceful persuasion / The deliciousness of fearlessness.
May 17: Criminal defense in Virginia - much different than the Potomac's width.
UNDERDOG BLOG ARCHIVES
SAMPLES OF POST-OCTOBER 2006 UNDERDOG BLOG ENTRIES:
October
3, 2008 - White
Collar Criminal Defense
September 5, 2008 - Drunk driving defense in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
August 15, 2008 - Terry v. Ohio must not become more dangerous than it already is.
July 29, 2008 - Maryland drunk driving lawyer / Virginia drunk driving lawyer / Washington, D.C. drunk driving lawyer.
July 28, 2008 - Miranda - No means no.
July 21, 2008 - DNA defense lawyer.
July 18, 2008 - Rape defense lawyer.
July 15, 2008 - Involuntary drugging
July 8, 2008 - Felony drug defense.
July 3, 2008 - When police prevaricate.
June 30, 2008 - Handgun lawyer.
June 29, 2008 - Virginia DWI defense.
June 25, 2008 - Virginia reckless driving defense.
June 13, 2008 - Criminal defense of immigrants.
June 10, 2008 - Maryland's new criminal discovery rules.
June 6, 2008 - Obscenity defense.
May 29, 2008 - When convicted felons are nearby guns and drugs.
May 28, 2008 - Federal criminal defense lawyer.
May 23, 2008 - Online criminal defense.
May 21, 2008 - Child pornography defense.
May 20, 2008 - Online child pornography defense.
May 14, 2008 - Federal criminal trial lawyer.
May 12, 2008 - Limits on federal criminal jurisdiction.
May 8, 2008 - Fairfax DWI / Drunk Driving Defense Lawyer.
April 28, 2008 - Support bloggers' free speech rights.
April 24, 2008 - The Fourth Amendment in Virginia
April 23, 2008 - Dismissal of wrongful Fairfax prosecution.
April 15, 2008 - Legalize prostitution.
April 9, 2008 - Northern Virginia marijuana lawyer.
April 8, 2008 - Baltimore drug lawyer.
March 24, 2008 - Fairfax Virginia criminal lawyer - Knowing your rights with the police
March 2, 2008 - Fairfax Virginia criminal lawyer - Spam prosecutions.
February 22, 2008 - Stop police abuse.
February 21, 2008 - When an arrest is on an inapplicable roadway.
February 20, 2008 - Confessions are inadmissible without interpreters' testimony.
February 19, 2008 - Defense of cases involving the Internet, child pornography, obscenity, online sexual solicitation, and Internet piracy.
February 15, 2008 - Defending DWI/DUI and other criminal traffic cases.
February 12, 2008 - Defending students against disciplinary actions.
February 12, 2008 - Shine the light on all police abuse.
February 12, 2008 - Death penalty trials at Guantanamo.
February 10, 2008 - Defending handguns, weapons, and firearms.
February 8, 2008 - Why is lawyer Ben Kuehne being prosecuted for money laundering?
February 7, 2008 - When a judge reviews another's search warrant.
February 6, 2008 - When prosecutors suggest getting the information from the defendant.
February 5, 2008 - When people waive rights out of confusion.
February 4, 2008 - Persuading in the moment.
February 1, 2008 - Cops can't play fast and loose with Miranda.
January 28, 2008 - What to wear in a courtroom?
January 24, 2008 - International extraditions: To be fought tooth and nail.
January 22, 2008 - Powerfully negotiating criminal cases.
January 17, 2008 - Keep the Fourth Amendment alive in Virginia.
January 11, 2008 - Holding breath technicians and their machines to the fire.
January 10, 2008 - When prosecutors advise cops to withhold discovery.
January 8, 2008 - Challenging Breathalyzer Test Results.
December 3, 2007 - Police and car stops and searches: How far can they go?
November 27, 2007 - Sexual Assault Defense: Sex Offender Registries.
November 26, 2007 - When Prosecutors Pare Down Civilian Witness Lists.
November 21, 2007 - Students Suspended For Using Crushed Smarties In Anti-Drug Video.
November 13, 2007 - Federal Drug Defense.
November 8, 2007 - Blood Alcohol Content Test Results Can Be Higher Than The B.A.C. At The Time Of Driving.
October 12, 2007 - Too Many Innocents Get Convicted.
August 31, 2007 - Why do we have criminal laws?
August 29, 2007 - You can't cross-examine a machine.
August 14, 2007 - Speaking in Soundbites.
July 23, 2007 - Michael Vick's prosecution: Don't rush to judgment.
May 7, 2007 - Flow chart leads to one-third the usual DWI suspension.
April 26, 2007 - Close but no cigar for traffic stops.
April 22, 2007 - Double jeopardy rights.
April 20, 2007 - Pot pipe victory in time for 4/20.
April 19, 2007 - Dismissal of handgun prosecution.
April 18, 2007 - Unjust detention and prosecution of juvenile.
April 17, 2007 - Warrants generally needed to search locked containers.
April 15, 2007 - Immigration law and criminal defendants.
April 8, 2007 - Drunk driving/DUI/DWI: Field sobriety tests are searches under the Fourth Amendment.
March 27, 2007 - From thirty plants to a probation before judgment.
March 27, 2007 - Gun Defense Lawyer
March 26, 2007 - Potential gold of criminal motions.
March 25, 2007 - Why Would Law Enforcement Not Want To Record "Confessions"? Why, Indeed.
March 23, 2007 - COPA Judge: "[P]erhaps we do the minors of this country harm if First Amendment protections, which they will with age inherit fully, are chipped away in the name of their protection."
March 22, 2007 - Maryland max security prison closed. Now what?
March
21, 2007 - When clothed shots are prosecuted as child
pornography.
March
21, 2007 - Cert.
Petition Filed Over Prisoners' First Amendment Rights.
March 20, 2007 - Saddam Hussein's vice president hanged after first receiving a life sentence.
February 26, 2007 - Caught in disbelief over an acquittal.
February
21, 2007 - On
Valentine's Day, 11th Circuit upholds ban on selling sexual devices.
February 20, 2007 - Our military law practice.
February 18, 2007 - Everyone is my teacher.
February 13, 2007 - Beware "Never Get Busted" video.
January 3, 2007 - Converting a drunk driving charge to a speeding conviction.
December 21, 2007 - Fighting false accusations.
December 20, 2007 - Field sobriety tests: junk science.
December 3, 2006: Winning a medical marijuana sentencing defense.
November 28, 2006- What is cocaine base?
September 13, 2006 - Sanctions for refusing a blood alcohol test.
INDEX OF OCTOBER 2006 UNDERDOG BLOG ENTRIES:
October 13: The U.S. military signals military criminal defense lawyers to pretend to defend.
October 12: When police troll for pedestrians smelling of alcohol.
October 11: Mask crime laws: A lump of coal in the First Amendment's eye.
October 10: Juror misconduct: How common? How to minimize the potential damage?
October 9: Marijuana- Effective medicine for Alzheimer's disease and much more.
October 9: Secret Service arrests man who tells Cheney "I think your policies in Iraq are reprehensible."
October 8: Do music and art make one a better lawyer?
October 8: Does humor make one a better lawyer?
October 8: Does hugging make one a better lawyer?
October 6: Kudos for a unanimous Supreme Court affirmance of injunction protecting sacramental use of a tea containing a hallucinogen.
October 6: If Molly Ivins can laugh in the face of oppression, so can I.
October 5: Why did Justice Scalia say "Nobody thinks your client is really ... abstaining from tequila down in Mexico"?
October 5: See this waterboarding video -- If this is not torture, what is?
October 4: Talking about Mark Foley: Marks & Katz gives the radio audience a criminal defense perspective.
October 3: Twenty-two states that do not ban corporal punishment in schools: Leaving 28 desirable states to live in.
October 1: Death threats against judge's rejection of intelligent design curriculum: Non-violent dissent is key.
October 1: Iraq's new government: Taking press censorship cues from Saddam Hussein's regime.
INDEX OF SEPTEMBER 2006 UNDERDOG BLOG ENTRIES:
September 29: George Bush's Injustice Department - Returning to the dark ages of obscenity prosecutions for the written word.
September 29: Know the jury: Views from Sunwolf and Windypundit.
September 29: "So, what's your relationship with the prosecutors?"
September 28: When clients speak in court.
September 27: The gap between indigent criminal defense systems that are well funded and resourced, and poorly funded and resource / What about defendants who barely miss qualifying for indigent defense?
September 26: Walking in Voltaire's shoes, Marks & Katz files motion to dismiss libel suit against Westboro Baptist Church.
September 25: Tell your House members to guarantee habeas corpus rights to alleged enemy combatants.
September 25: Maher Arar: A Canadian citizen is "rendered" to Syria after detention at JFK Airport, tortured, and then told it was all a mistake.
September 25: Trouble in the empire state: Too many New York municipal "justice court" judges run roughshod over justice.
September 24: More on Senator George Allen's macaca-gate.
September 22: Overcover risk at the Supreme Court.
September 21: Only a handful of people receive federally-provided medical marijuana.
September 21: Hemp for Victory.
September 20: Preserve the writ of habeas corpus for all.
September 20: A bad civics lesson: House passes student search bill.
September 20: Know your judge and jury; who's your judge and jury?
September 19: U.S. war prisons: All inmates must receive humane treatment, access to quality defense. and quality tax-paid defense lawyers.
September 18: When criminal defense lawyers are asked to assist the prosecution role.
September 17: The need for criminal defense lawyers to love their clients, listen to them, know them, build trust with them, walk in their shoes, and sit alongside them.
September 14: To open or not to open at bench trials.
September 13: Sanctions for refusing a blood alcohol test.
September 12: Here a program; there a program; everywhere a program-program.
September 11: Pretrial preparation starts with jury instructions, Rench's idea book, closing argument, and the jury.
September 10: Of Lonny Baxter, gun laws, and the Potomac divide.
September 9: Why prosecute?
September 8: When Miranda comes to the rescue; and when it does not.
September 7: Waiting to Inhale - The medical marijuana debate.
September 6: Drugs and war
September 5: Identity theft will decline if TINs replace SSNs for identity.
September 4: Steve Irwin: Exemplified fearless living.
September 3: Criminalizing leaf-rustling: Hunter harassment laws.
September 1: A mentor leaves the planet: James Vance Elliott -- a giant without an ego.
September 1: The government's draconian weight in drunk driving cases.
INDEX OF AUGUST 2006 UNDERDOG BLOG ENTRIES:
August 31: Never give up. Never give in.
August 30: Consistently opposed to libel laws, Marks & Katz defends libel suit against Westboro Baptist Church / Appears on TV.
August 29: Will cops harvest a bumper crop of confessions post-John Karr?
August 28: Another backdoor First Amendment violation: 18 U.S.C. § 2257.
August 27: Minor hauled to court for allegedly saying "meow".
August 25: Jay Marks's battles for justice.
August 24: John Johnson: As alive as ever.
August 23: Should judge get four years for indecent exposure? What recourse is available to the parties who appeared before him?
August 22: Comparisons and contrasts on the criminal law systems in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and federal courts.
August 21: Three prosecutor blogs found: Know the Opposition.
August 21: Virginia criminal defendants: Know your rights / Reverse Virginia's pitiful pay for court-appointed counsel.
August 20: George Allen: Meet Andrew Young and Mel Gibson / Update on macaca-gate.
August 18: Having fun while fighting the powers that be.
August 17: Doing t'ai chi with my opponents.
August 16: Some good suppression cases, the Busted video, and Virginia's malfeasance statute.
August 16: Marks & Katz is eight-years-old this week!
August 15: How does a minority defendant feel walking into a courthouse with a confederate soldier out front? What does this say to a racist juror instructed to set aside prejudice?
August 15: Virginia Senator George Allen demeaningly calls Indian-American man "macaca".
August 15: Venire jury members, be truthful; any other approach can mean a retrial.
August 14: Prison censorship; prison rape.
August 13: Car passengers can have standing to challenge car stop and search.
August 11: The Bush Administration tries to intimidate future Daniel Ellsbergs, Deep Throats, and journalists who would print their disclosures.
August 10: Marks & Katz wins acquittal for client caught red-handed with a handgun at airport baggage scanning, using basic trial outline.
August 9: Gansler campaign signs come tumbling down.
August 9: Identifying, selecting, preparing and presenting expert witnesses.
August 8: Don't let a Virginia jury convict, because next the jury fixes the sentence.
August 7: U.S. Senate ratifies the Cybercrime Treaty.
August 6: Maryland and Virginia District Court: Bench trials, appeals, and withdrawal of appeals.
August 4: Loving jurors rather than fearing them.
August 3: Marks & Katz on the airwaves - Speaking out for justice.
August 2: Mad Mel: Beyond the hateful words
August 1: Know means know: Your rights dealing with the police.
INDEX OF JULY 2006 UNDERDOG BLOG ENTRIES:
July 31: Getting to "yes" with prosecutors.
July 30: The drug wars: Just say know.
July 28: Pathetic juxtaposition: DC curfew law tightened after Second District Commander asserts " black people are unusual in Georgetown."
July 27: "But they didn't read me my rights" - When Ernesto Miranda applies little more than Carmen Miranda.
July 26: A prosecutor in our midst - Eschewing State's Attorney Gansler's presence in our building and on our landlord's lawn.
July 25: When is a federal judge more acquittal-prone than a jury?
July 24: Virginia -- The land that turned its back on Jencks.
July 23: Beyond the Underdog Blog - See markskatz.com.
July 23: Integrating heart, preparation, technique and experience for trial victory.
July 21: Chilling interview with your friendly, neighborhood, death chamber nurse.
July 20: The National Lawyers Guild - Should I stay or should I go now? Part II.
July 19: Daniel Schorr and Frank Zappa - Inspirations for excellence, for standing up to abuse of power, and against complacency.
July 18: Tony Serra: Speeding past Porsche-driving lawyers.
July 17: MySpace.com: As confidential as the yellow pages.
July 16: Reasonable doubt: The bedrock of a criminal trial.
July 14: The Constitution is violated to criminalize female toplessness.
July 14: Indecent exposure: Prohibiting guests from exposing themselves in Maryland homes
July 13: Let's shoot craps, and stop prohibition of online gambling.
July 12: How to deal with difficult judges?
July 11: Sexually explicit PDA contents are not automatically admissible at trial for seeking sex with a minor.
July 10: Turning the undefinable into a parole condition: Second Circuit upholds parole revocation for possessing pornography.
July 9: Marijuana: Of opportunistic cops and misguided smokers.
July 7: The amazing Sunwolf presents Jury Talk DVD.
July 6: When the judge is your jury: Fighting for justice in misdemeanor court.
July 5: St. Tammany Parish, LA, sheriff gives green light to harass people wearing dreadlocks, and advocates ejecting criminal defense lawyers on a rail.
July 3: Rainbow Gathering defendants are being denied Sixth Amendment right to public trial.
July 2: The garbage bags in your driveway: Fodder for vulture cops.
INDEX OF JUNE 2006 UNDERDOG BLOG ENTRIES:
June
30: Supreme
Court's rejection of Guantanamo military commissions highlights danger to
everyone's Constitutional rights .
June
29: Supreme
Court rejects Guantanamo military commissions.
June
28: Marks & Katz
appears on Free Speech
Radio News, supporting the New York Times's right to report on the SWIFT
program.
June 27: Supreme Court upholds the right to hire counsel of one's choice.
June 26: Will the Supreme Court in the future have juries determine the existence of prior convictions for enhanced sentences?
June 25: When plea agreements lack sufficient specificity, the federal appellate courts may remand.
June 23: Hopefully, Betsy Ross rolls in her grave - Contact your Senators and Congress members to vote against the flag desecration Constitutional amendment.
June 22: On Wenyi Wang's behalf, Marks & Katz asks the White House for the name of the Chinese television cameraman who restrained her.
June 21: If judges would only walk for a day in a parolee's shoes: Supreme Court allows groundless searches of parolees.
June 20: Supreme Court returns to Washington to figure out definition of "testimonial" communication, but opens a can of worms with 911 calls.
June 19: Virginia's Supreme Court orders new capital sentencing trial where the defense claims mental retardation.
June 18: Maryland District Court commissioners wield too much power.
June 16: Watch this video showing police brutalizing a prosecutor's daughter; then ask how on earth Justice Scalia can claim that increased police professionalism justifies weakening the exclusionary rule. Plus, my own encounter with Justice Scalia.
June 15: Sending Hudson down the river: Further supporting the reasons for having feared the confirmations of Justices Roberts and Alito.
June 14: Bridging the gap between trial lawyer colleges and judges' limits: First person opening, cross-examining without question marks, and jury voir dire.
June 13: Engaging in battle without anger.
June 12: Orlando federal judge criticizes the 100:1 cocaine base:powder cocaine sentencing disparity.
June 11: Beyond the Sixth Amendment's speedy trial right: Dismissing federal prosecutions for running afoul of the Speedy Trial Act's seventy-day rule.
June 9: Not guilty - a phrase too many criminal defendants fear.
June 9: George Bush: Protecting the rights of the rich over the rights of everyone.
June 8: Wenyi Wang's prosecution: Update on the Bush administration's mirroring of China's flagrant violations of free speech rights.
June 7: Washington, DC's DWI zero tolerance: As broken as ten months ago during Debra Bolton's arrest for drinking a glass of wine.
June 6: Not a consensual encounter, so Swift justifiably gets away.
June 5: Dunkin' Donuts and 6,200 other companies: Unnecessarily going beyond the federal employment verification laws.
June 4: After defending a drunk driving client, meeting up with a tax resister.
June 2: The police and I.
June 1: My time in jails; my time in court.
INDEX OF MAY 2006 UNDERDOG BLOG ENTRIES:
May 31: Attenuated justice: The attenuation doctrine encourages illegal detentions.
May 30: The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision against whistleblowers - premonition of things to come.
May 30: Federal courts face high hurdle to reduce a criminal jury below twelve members.
May 29: The prosecutor alone has the burden to prove a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
May 29: The Yogyakarta earthquake: Here's where to donate.
May 28: Another reason for legalizing marijuana: UCLA study finds no lung cancer risk.
May 26: Judge recognizes multiple injustices inflicted on defendants jailed for pending criminal cases.
May 25: Stale-dated basis for search warrant may not be corrected as a typographical error.
May 24: When court personnel and lawyers guffaw about scared criminal defendants.
May 23: Eyewitness identification: The source of too many wrongful convictions.
May 22: The bigger they come...? William Jefferson's ordeal highlights the necessity of Constitutional protection for all.
May 21: The power of peaceful persuasion / The deliciousness of fearlessness.
May 19: The National Lawyers Guild - Should I stay or should I go now?
May 18: In praise of lawyer Rex B. Wingerter.
May 17: Criminal defense in Virginia - much different than the Potomac's width.
May 16: Trial judges cannot exclude witnesses on mere anticipation of inadmissible testimony.
May 15: Detroit police to videotape interviews of suspects exposed to life without parole.
May 14: Know before you go: Places where speeding can lead to jail.
May 12: The Bush Administration: Giving the Fourth Amendment as much respect as toilet paper.
May 11: Earl Washington Jr's coerced confession and wrongful banishment to death row.
May 10: North Dakota welcomes industrial hemp production, if only the feds would back off.
May 7: The Bush administration's denial of basic trial rights to Guantanamo inmates.
May 5: Some Moussaoui jurors questioned whether "the death penalty is really an appropriate punishment for lying,"
May 5: Gutting the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of a jury trial for "petty offenses."
May 5: Mexican President backpeddles on permitting possession of small amounts of drugs.
May 4: A man appears, pours day-old coffee, and the tension magically disappears.
May 3: The jury system worked today, with Zacarias Moussaoui being spared execution.
May 3: 35 hours of deliberation and counting: Let the Moussaoui jurors take all the time they need.
May 3: Mexican government recognizes the benefit of leaving alone users of small amounts of illegal drugs.
May 2: The Supreme Court unanimously reverses South Carolina for denial of right to present an effective defense.
May 1: Criminal libel laws are still on the books, and should be struck down as unconstitutional.
INDEX OF APRIL 2006 UNDERDOG BLOG ENTRIES:
April 30: Mourning the passing of Bob Ritchie.
April 30: Under Attack - The Constitutional right to a vigorous criminal defense and to a jury trial.
April 28: Medical marijuana grower Ed Rosenthal gets retrial.
April 27: Your double jeopardy rights - diminished by the unjust separate sovereign doctrine.
April 26: Increase pay for indigent criminal defendants' court-appointed counsel.
April 26: The New York ACLU goes to court against heavy-handed policing against teachers.
April 25: The Supreme Court Bars "Consent" Searches When a Co-Occupant Objects.
April 25: Austin police institute safeguards for "consent" searches.
April 24: Zacarias Moussaoui's Case - A bad basis for expanding the death penalty.
April 24: Wenyi Wang's prosecution is unconstitutional.
April 20: Honoring Native American rights on the last day of the Sacred Run.
April 10: Ramiro Games's tragedy points to the critical need to better protect the accused.
FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE IS WHAT WE ARE ALL ABOUT:
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JON KATZ, P.C., Attorney at Law, 8720 Georgia Avenue, Suite 703
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(301) 495-7755/FAX (301) 585-7733
jon[at]katzjustice[dot]com
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Being in a legal bind may feel daunting; dealing with your lawyer should not be.
Fighting for criminal defendants and the Constitution is a calling that Jon Katz relishes. Jon does it not as the most lucrative way to earn a lawyer's living, but because he believes strongly in this path and loves the work and the interaction with his clients.
Our clients are what we are all about. Therefore, we work tirelessly to deliver them the best service we can, using all our experience, skill, caring, and resources to help our clients win. We do our best to help our clients go on with their lives as we work on their behalf. We welcome our clients' ideas, inquiries and teamwork. We work with our clients as a united front against our opponents, and are happy for our opponents to know that we are prepared for battle and fearless to go to battle. We know that honey catches more flies than sandpaper, but also know that nothing beats being fully armed to battle for justice for our clients.
JON KATZ, P.C., Attorney at Law
8720 Georgia Avenue, Suite 703
Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland 20910
(301) 495-7755/FAX (301) 585-7733
jon[at]katzjustice[dot]com
VIRGINIA BRANCH OFFICE:
1420 Spring Hill Road, Suite 600, Tysons Corner/ McLean, Fairfax County, Virginia 22102, (703) 917-6626.
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Jon Katz started this website in 1999 when with Marks & Katz. He continues this website with his law firm Jon Katz, P.C., which opened in July 2008.
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