Respondent in CPO case awarded attorney fees in D.C.
A Koehler Law client was recently reimbursed for his attorney fees after prevailing as the respondent in a civil protection order (CPO) case in Washington, D.C. The court awarded fees after concluding...
View ArticleWhy settle a civil protection or anti-stalking order case in D.C.?
The petition for a civil protection order (CPO) against a Koehler Law client was dismissed recently after the parties reached an out-of-court settlement. Our client no longer faces the legal, social...
View ArticleD.C. Court dismisses petition for anti-stalking order
People seek anti-stalking orders (ASOs) in Washington, D.C. for many different reasons. Some petitions involve conduct that legitimately falls within the protections provided by the ASO statute. Others...
View ArticleCrowded dockets delay CPO and ASO hearings in D.C.
Presiding over civil protection order (CPO) and anti-stalking order (ASO) cases is one of the most demanding assignments for D.C. Superior Court judges. Each morning, parties begin logging on at 8:30...
View ArticleWillful blindness in the reflecting pool cases
At some point, there will be a reckoning. The reckoning may be a public one: Lawyers hauled before the D.C. bar to face potential disciplinary proceedings. It may also be a purely private reckoning....
View ArticleShould your CPO/ASO case “trail” your criminal matter?
Domestic violence charges in criminal court are frequently accompanied by a petition for a civil protection order (CPO) or anti-stalking order (ASO). This is because one incident can lead to two...
View ArticleD.C.’s ban on 11+ magazines is unconstitutional
The D.C. Court of Appeals has struck down as unconstitutional the District’s ban on high capacity magazines for firearms. Specifically, the court found recently in Benson v. United States, 2026 D.C....
View ArticleNot guilty after simple assault trial
Back when I was a public defender in Philadelphia, we used to do back-to-back trials in the misdemeanor courtroom. On my best day, I had two “not guilty” verdicts, one right after the other. This...
View Article“Trumping” the U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C.
Donald Trump has the opposite of the “Midas touch”: He diminishes everything he comes into contact with. It is hard, for example, to think of a single individual who has emerged from an association...
View ArticleBreaking the criminal justice system in D.C.
Donald Trump claims, against all evidence, that something is broken. With great bluster, he breaks that something. He then uses the thing he broke to prove he was right to begin with. Given the stakes...
View ArticleUnlawful entry and the “independent justification requirement”
According to the “independent justification” requirement, an order to leave public property must be given by a person with authority based on some established policy, rule or regulation. Otherwise,...
View ArticleOde to D.C. Superior courtroom clerks
Jada Aristilde, one of my favorite courtroom clerks, has left the building. Ms. Aristilde leaned over to me in courtroom 314 earlier this week after my case was called to tell me that that was her last...
View ArticleOn interacting with the jury after trial
Trying to read the jury can be a humbling experience. Many years ago, during a DUI trial in D.C., I was encouraged by a young man in the front row who, listening intently, seemed to agree with...
View Article“No matter what” and the U.S. Attorney for D.C.
“No matter what.” These are chilling words to hear from any law enforcement official. After all, given the enormous stakes involved in a criminal prosecution, restraint has to be the operative word....
View ArticleOn sycophants, yes men and self-respect
Here is the recently released statement of Edward R. Martin, the new U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia: “I want to thank President Trump for trusting me to re-establish law and order in...
View Article“Not guilty” in two cases and on all counts
Trials can be challenging. The stakes are high, and the pressure can be unrelenting. I have been feeling the strain. It was therefore particularly gratifying to win across-the-board acquittals in two...
View ArticleNegotiating the “proffer of facts” in a plea agreement
As part of a plea agreement, the government typically requires the defendant to agree to a "proffer of facts," a written statement of the evidence the government would have proven had the case gone to...
View ArticleD.C.’s new criminal record sealing and expungement statute
Scheduled to take effect in January 2026, D.C.'s new criminal record sealing and expungement statute should make it much easier for people to move on from a criminal past. The post D.C.’s new criminal...
View ArticleRenewal of CJA Panel for 2024
Chief Judge Josey-Herring issued an order on March 15, 2024 that renewed the list of attorneys eligible to accept appointments under the Criminal Justice Act. The post Renewal of CJA Panel for 2024...
View ArticleBreaking the Criminal Justice System in D.C.
Donald Trump claims, against all evidence, that something is broken. With great bluster, he breaks that something. He then uses the thing he broke to prove he was right to begin with. Given the stakes...
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