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14 Jul

Lloyd Hall is Free after 34 years

By Justin Brown Uncategorized1 Comment 1

(Photo by Alan Chin) A Montgomery County Circuit Judge ordered Lloyd Hall to be released from prison on Thursday – immediately – vacating a life-without-parole sentence and ending an injustice that had persisted for 34 years. Hall walked out of the courthouse in a new black suit around 1:15 p.m., and was greeted by a cheering crowd of family and supporters. Hall had been convicted in 1984 for burglary and related offenses. Because he

14 Dec

Adnan Syed Updates

By Justin Brown Maryland Criminal Defense, Post Conviction & 2255, SyedNo Comments 23

January 10, 2019 Syed today filed a brief providing the Maryland Court of Appeals with supplemental authority pertaining to the alibi issue now before the State’s highest court. The supplement alerts the court to a new case from Alabama’s highest court called Ex parte Gissendanner, No. 1160762, 2019 WL 101611 (Ala. Jan. 4, 2019). Why do we care about what an Alabama court is saying? The reason relates to the argument initially set forth by a

07 Oct

Judge Reverses Life Sentence in AA County

By Justin Brown Maryland Criminal Defense, Post Conviction & 2255, UncategorizedNo Comments 1

Brown Law last week won a high-stakes post-conviction proceeding in Anne Arundel County when a Circuit Court Judge found that prosecutors had withheld critical evidence from the defendant. As a result, our client’s life sentence was vacated and a new trial ordered. This marks the sixth time the Firm has reversed a life sentence. The Judge granted the post-conviction petition on three separate grounds: one Brady violation and two claims of ineffective assistance of counsel.

31 Dec

This is why we fight.

By Justin Brown UncategorizedNo Comments 8

I get asked the question all the time. Why do you represent criminal defendants? Sometimes I ask myself. But this is why. I have sat in prison visiting booths with inmates serving life sentences whom I believed were innocent. I have stood side by side with guilty defendants who were better human beings than the people judging them. I have seen men plead guilty to crimes they did not commit – and face very long

13 Dec

When Finality Trumps Common Sense: Brendan Dassey Denied

By Justin Brown UncategorizedNo Comments 10

This week the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the legality of Brendan Dassey’s confession to the 2005 killing of Teresa Halbach, finding that it was voluntary and could be used against him at trial. To many of the millions of people who watched video of the confession in the Netflix documentary series “Making a Murderer,” the appellate court’s conclusion was incomprehensible. Dassey was 16 years old at the time and it was apparent that

27 Sep

New Expungement Laws Coming to Maryland

By Justin Brown Maryland Criminal Defense, Post Conviction & 2255No Comments 14

Important changes are coming to Maryland’s expungement law. Starting October 1, 2017, more people than ever before will have the ability to have their criminal records expunged – in many cases, for free. In the criminal context, expungement refers to the removal of certain criminal records from public inspection – meaning that the general public will not have access to those records. Until recently, only charges that did not result in a conviction were eligible

15 Sep

Firm Fights to Clear Name of Wrongly Convicted

By Justin Brown Coram Nobis, Federal Criminal Defense, Federal Sentencing, Maryland Criminal Defense, Post Conviction & 2255No Comments 7

Brown & Nieto this week filed a federal habeas petition on behalf of Christopher Jones, who was falsely convicted in 2015 by allegedly corrupt Baltimore City Police officer Daniel Hersl. Jones has maintained his innocence since he was first arrested in Baltimore City and charged with drugs and a gun. According to Jones, Officer Hersl planted the evidence against him, and other officers wrote up a false police report. Rather than risk a very long

18 May

Syed’s Final Appellate Filing

By Justin Brown UncategorizedNo Comments 14

Adnan Syed today filed his final written brief leading up to the oral arguments scheduled for June 8 before the Maryland Court of Special Appeals. Read the filing here: REPLY BRIEF The oral arguments are open to the public, although seating may be limited.

29 Mar

Syed Files Appellate Brief

By Justin Brown Coram Nobis, Maryland Criminal Defense, Post Conviction & 2255, SyedNo Comments 14

Adnan Syed today filed his “Brief of Appellee/Cross-Appellant” with the Court of Special Appeals. To recap, on June 30, 2016, the Baltimore City Circuit Court vacated Syed’s conviction and granted him a new trial. The Baltimore City Circuit Court found that Syed’s trial counsel had been constitutionally ineffective, in violation of the Sixth Amendment, at Syed’s original trial in 2000. The State is appealing the Circuit Court’s ruling to the Court of Special Appeals. The State filed its

25 Jan

Message to Non-Citizens with Prior Convictions

By Justin Brown Coram NobisNo Comments 0

The election of Donald Trump will have sweeping consequences for everyone, but perhaps no group should be more concerned than non-citizens who have criminal records. Trump has already stated that he will target this group, and, as president, he now has the means to follow through on his promise. Many of these non-citizens are legal permanent residents who have been here for a long time. In many cases they are productive members of the community,

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