Ocean City, MD Criminal Defense Lawyer

Baltimore Crimianl Defense Lawyers

Located in Worcester County, Ocean City is a popular place to visit in the summertime and a great place to live year-round. If you are facing criminal charges, even if you are a minor, an experienced criminal lawyer can assist you.

Our office has experience with various criminal offenses, including traffic violations, DUI or DWIs charges, and assault. If you are arrested, you should avoid answering questions from the police and demand to speak to a lawyer immediately. If you are charged with a crime, we must plan for your next hearing and court appearance. If you face felony charges, a preliminary hearing might be in order. We can also help you post bail so you can prepare for your trial from home instead of a jail cell. If your child faces criminal charges, they might be charged as a juvenile or an adult, depending on the circumstances. Your best defense depends on your unique situation, and your attorney should help you determine how best to fight your charges.

Call the law firm of Rice, Murtha & Psoras, at (410) 288-2900 for a free review of your charges and case with our criminal defense lawyers.

Crimes Our Ocean City Criminal Defense Lawyers Handle

Attorney G. Randolph Rice, Jr., has been representing clients for years in Ocean City and helping them resolve their criminal, DUI, DWI, drunk driving, and traffic ticket cases with favorable outcomes. Mr. Rice is a former Assistant State’s Attorney in Maryland and has tried thousands of jury and bench trials in Maryland.

Traffic Offenses

If you have ever found yourself sitting on the side of the road pulled over by an officer, you know that it can be nerve-racking. There are many reasons why an officer may pull you over, and you can receive many different citations.

The reason may be whether you ran a stop sign, were speeding, or were found to be driving on a suspended license. You can face fines and even points on your license for any of these offenses. Though these may seem like minor penalties, they can have severe consequences. If you accumulate too many points on your license, you will likely have increased car insurance rates and possibly a suspended license. Driving while suspended is a serious violation that can lead to jail time.

Licenses can be suspended for a variety of other reasons as well, including taking a breath or blood test after a DUI investigation and failure to pay your tickets. So, even though you had a minor moving violation, you can be looking at serious consequences. No matter the offense, you should consult with a lawyer.

DUI/DWI

Unfortunately, after a night out, people decide to drive after having a few too many drinks. If you are one of those people and were pulled over, serious consequences could follow.

At least two charges can result from drinking and driving: a DUI and a DWI. A DUI means driving under the influence, and a DWI means driving while intoxicated. These two offenses are often charged together and can be difficult to differentiate.

Essentially, the primary difference in these charges is what your blood alcohol content (BAC) was when tested. This means you can be charged with a drunk driving offense even if your BAC was below the technical “legal” limit of .08.

Disorderly Conduct

Disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace are two offenses that can be applied to the same criminal accusations. Many scenarios can lead to disorderly conduct charges, such as entering private property and disturbing the occupants of that property and excessive drunkenness in public.

If you have been arrested for disorderly conduct, you may face a misdemeanor charge with fines of up to $500 and sixty days in jail. If you have been charged with disturbing the peace or disorderly conduct, hiring a defense attorney is in your best interest.

Assault

Have you been charged with 2nd Degree Assault in Ocean City, Maryland? Mr. Rice has helped hundreds of clients resolve assault charges with the least possible consequences, including dismissal or nolle prosequi (nol pros) in Maryland. A conviction for 2nd Degree Assault in Maryland carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail and is classified as a misdemeanor. Don’t take a chance with your future. If a lawyer is successful in having your assault charges dropped or dismissed, the case can be expunged from your record.

What to Do if You Are Arrested in Ocean City, MD

Perhaps the most important thing you can do when being arrested for a crime is to cooperate with the police. Being combative or belligerent will only get you in more trouble. In fact, you might face additional criminal charges for resisting arrest.

After your arrest, you might be asked some questions by the police. You are required to answer questions from the police regarding your identity. This usually happens during the booking process. Go ahead and give the police details, like your name, address, and date of birth. This is typically not considered incriminating information, and refusing to do so will only make the police angrier.

If the police try to question you about the alleged crime they believe you committed, say nothing. Law enforcement officials are required by law to inform detained suspects of their Miranda rights before proceeding with custodial interrogation.

Your Miranda rights include remaining silent and having a lawyer with you during custodial interrogation. Invoke these rights directly, clearly, and immediately. If the police do not inform you of these rights yet persist in questioning you about your alleged offense, they are violating your rights, and you should speak with a lawyer immediately.

You may cease questioning at any time. The police cannot force you to answer questions whether or not you have a lawyer present. Once questioning is done, the police might hold you until they talk with prosecutors about assessing criminal charges. At that point, you might remain in custody or be released, depending on whether you are charged.

This is why invoking your right to remain silent is so important. Often, the police have enough probable cause to arrest someone but not enough evidence to press charges. The police often use the custodial interrogation process to get incriminating information from suspects that can be used to convince prosecutors to press charges.

What Happens After You Are Charged with a Crime in Ocean City, MD?

If you are arrested, you will be taken to the police station for Ocean City. The police will begin the booking process, where they will collect information about you and the alleged crime. The police can ask you questions at the scene or back at the police precinct. Remember, you do not have to answer any of the questions, and you may invoke your right to remain silent. The more you tell the police, the more evidence they will have at trial to use against you.

Once the police have completed the booking and questioning, they may take you before a court commissioner to review the charges and set bail/bond. If the commissioner sets bail/bond, you can post that bail/bond at that time, or the police will transport you to the local detention center to await a bail review hearing. The commissioner can also release you on your own recognizance, and you will receive a trial date in the mail.

Most bail review hearings will occur the next day unless you are arrested on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Then, the bail review will occur the following Monday. If you do not post the bail/bond, you will be held at the detention center until the trial date is set. If you are charged with a misdemeanor, then your case will be heard in one of the District Courts. If you are charged with a felony, your case will be heard in the Circuit Court.

What Happens After Being Charged with a Felony in Ocean City?

If you have been charged with a felony, you have 10 days after seeing a court commissioner to request a preliminary hearing. If request a preliminary hearing, then a date will be set in the District Court to have a Judge decide if there is probable cause to move forward with all charges.

The State’s Attorney’s Office will review your case and may still allow the preliminary hearing to occur, at which time they may reduce the charges down to misdemeanors or may have a hearing for the Judge to decide if there is probable cause to move forward with the felony charges. The State’s Attorney can also pull the case from the preliminary hearing and take it before a Grand Jury to determine if there is probable cause to move forward.

The individual charged does not have the ability to stop the State’s Attorney from taking the case before the Grand Jury. If the charged individual does not request a preliminary hearing, the State’s Attorney could also file criminal information and transfer the case to the Circuit Court for prosecution.

Should I Request a Preliminary Hearing for Felony Charges in Ocean City, MD?

Whether or not you should request a preliminary hearing for felony charges depends on your case, but it is often a good idea. The preliminary hearing imposes a burden on prosecutors that they must overcome in order to move forward with your criminal case. If you choose to waive your preliminary hearing, you are only making it easier for prosecutors to stick you with criminal charges.

You should ask for a preliminary hearing for several reasons. First, we should make the prosecutors work as hard as possible to prove their case against you. Second, even if the prosecutors meet their burden at the preliminary hearing, we might get a glimpse of their legal strategies. We can then use this information to build your defense to be as effective as possible.

You might have reasons to waive your right to a preliminary hearing depending on your situation and charges. Often, defendants waive their preliminary hearings when there is overwhelming evidence against them, and the prosecutor’s success at the hearing is all but certain.

You might also be able to work out a plea agreement with prosecutors before the preliminary hearing. Additionally, waiving the preliminary hearing might make prosecutors more inclined to offer you a better plea bargain. Regardless, speak to your lawyer about a potential preliminary hearing before making any decisions.

What is a Bail Hearing in Ocean City?

A bail hearing is when a judge sets an amount of money the defendant must pay to be released from jail pending trial. Defendants may pay the bail themselves or secure a bond and have someone else put up the money (e.g., a bail bond agent).

The bail hearing allows a judge to determine if a bond should be issued and whether any conditions should be attached. The judge will consider your ties with the community, whether you are employed, your criminal history, and how much of a flight risk you are.

In 2017, The Maryland Court of Appeals set down new rules reforming the cash bail system. Although these rules are not necessarily statutory laws, legal professionals often treat them as such. Under the new rules, cash bail still exists but is heavily disfavored. Instead, prosecutors are urged to impose bail using the least restrictive, non-financial means possible.

Some common conditions imposed as part of bail, absent financial requirements, include curfews, stay-away orders, and home detention orders. Cash bail might be imposed, but only in cases where other bail conditions are insufficient to ensure the defendant shows up for court.

If You Are a Minor, Can You Be Charged as an Adult in Ocean City?

Generally, minors are prosecuted in a juvenile court system. In Maryland, the age of majority is 18 years old. If you are prosecuted in juvenile court and found to be delinquent, the court retains power over the minor to do what is best for them.

However, it is possible for the court to charge minors as adults. Minors that are 16 years or older may end up in adult court for carjacking, kidnapping, second-degree murder, rape or assault, and manslaughter, except involuntary.

Figuring Out the Best Defense for Your Criminal Charges in Ocean City, MD

There is no single way to put up a defense to criminal charges. The best defense depends on your circumstances, and your attorney should advise you on how to best fight your charges.

Pretrial Motions

Pretrial motions are used for a variety of reasons. Often, pretrial motions help to set the tone of the case and affect important aspects like evidence. One important pretrial motion that can sway the case in your favor is a motion to suppress evidence.

Evidence might be inadmissible for numerous reasons. One big reason is if the police seized the evidence illegally. Our criminal defense attorneys can identify evidence seized in violation of your rights and file a motion to exclude it from your trial. If key pieces of evidence are excluded, the case against you may be so weakened that prosecutors might drop the charges.

Fighting the Charges at Your Trial

Another option is to see your trial through to the end and fight the charges using evidence and persuasive arguments. Since the prosecutor has the burden of proof to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt, our job is to undermine their evidence and arguments.

We can point to the prosecutor’s lack of evidence or the unreliability of witnesses. In fact, the defense is not required to put up any evidence or prove anything. However, our criminal defense attorneys must still use our own evidence to prove you are not guilty.

Plea Bargains

Plea bargains and agreements are deals negotiated with prosecutors, often before a trial even begins. In a plea bargain, the prosecutor might drop or reduce some of your charges in exchange for a guilty plea. This is a very common practice in criminal trials, and many cases end with plea deals.

You should speak to your lawyer before accepting a plea agreement because it is very difficult to appeal. Once a deal is accepted and entered into court, you can only appeal if you were forced to accept the deal, did not understand the deal when you accepted, or were tricked into accepting.

Locations of Court Houses in Ocean City, MD

If you must go to court after being charged with a crime in Ocean City, Maryland, you will likely have to visit one of the Worcester County District Courthouses. Ocean City, Maryland is home to one of two District Courts in Worcester County.

The District Court operates from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and has parking in front of the building. A second District Court and the Circuit Court are located in Snow Hill and operate under the same hours.

There is also a Worcester County Circuit Court that hears juvenile and family law matters and all jury trials. Snow Hill is about a 30-minute drive from Ocean City, so if you are dealing with any of the aforementioned matters, that is where you will be appearing.

Our Ocean City Criminal Defense Lawyers Can Help

Call (410) 694-7291 to schedule a review of your case with our criminal defense lawyers at no cost to you at the offices of Rice, Murtha & Psoras.